Literary Theory

What is Literary Theory?

 is a combination of the nature and
function of literature and the relation
of text to its author, reader, and
society
 is described as the frame that
supports literary criticism
 is consists of a variety of scholarly
approaches to evaluate a study
 is the different frameworks used to
evaluate and interpret a particular
work
Purposes of studying literary theory:

• One of the views is likely to affirm your

perspective and speak to what you see in the
literature you are studying.
• Studying a view different from yours not to
disagree with it, but to understand it, it helps
you understand those who hold that view.
• Studying a work from more than one view gives
you a deeper understanding of the author's
work and a better appreciation for the richness
of it.
Literature ↔ Literary Theory

 Literary theory is interested in establishing general principles about

how literature works and criticism work. (Peck and Coyle 1984)

 Literary theory is the theory (or philosophy) of the interpretation of

Literature. It refers not to the meaning of a work of literature, but
the theories that reveal WHAT literature can mean.

 Literary theory is the abstract division of literature into genres,

subgenres, motives, reasons for an artist to create literature.
Literary Criticism
What is Literary Criticism?
 is the study, analysis, evaluation and
interpretation of literature
 is the practical application of literary
theory (output)
 helps us understand what it is
important about the text:
- its structure
- its context, social, ecnomic, historical
- what is written
- how the text manipulates the readers.
Literary Criticism (Introduction)
Literary criticism is the act of analyzing, evaluating and interpreting
literary works. Literary criticism encompasses examining author's work
as well as in depth book reviews. Good criticism assesses good qualities
of literary work as well as it is.
Literary criticism enables us, critics, to develop an informed opinion
about the meaning of a literary work. It is also called as, “second-level
literary criticism”. It advances a particular argument about a specific
text or a set of texts to be persuasive.
Criticism can never be a science; it is, in the first place, much too
personal, and in the second, it is concerned with values that science
ignores. The touchstone is emotion, not reason. (Rawlinson 1971:2)
Literature ↔ Literary Criticism

According to Abrams (2009:61) literary criticism is the overall term

for studies concerned with defining, classifying, analyzing,
interpreting and evaluating works of literature.
Literary criticism asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is
worth.
Literature is an abstract organization of methods for examining the
literary product, this examination called, literary criticism, seeks to,
by looking at the structures, images, and all literary techniques
available to the artist, expose the literature to judgment and to a
greater appreciation and understanding for the reader.
Literary Criticism = Literary Theory

Literary criticism relies on literary theory for efficient

judgment/evolution, interpretation and analysis of literary work.
Literary theory is the abstract work and criticism is the practical
application of that work.
When writing literary criticism or any work that seeks to interpret
and understand work of literature, it is helpful to have an
understanding of literary theory (critical theory). The idea of criticism
is not necessarily linked to a critical reading of a text in a negative
sense; rather, criticism is a way of reading a text closely and
understanding its structure, origins, meanings and implications
within wider contexts.
Literary Criticism - defined as the study of particular cases. It involves
the reading and interpretation of, and commentary on a specific text or
texts which have been designated as literature.

Literary Theory - defined as the study of general principles; a theory that

guides those that criticize people's literary works. With theory, you can
become more specific and concrete in your analysis.

Theory - a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain

something, especially one based on general principles independent of
the thing to be explained; formulated to explain, predict and understand
phenomena and, in many cases, to challenge and extend exisiting
knowledge within the limits of critical bounding assumptions.