What is It

CRITIQUING A LITERARY SELECTION BASED ON

STRUCTURALIST/FORMALIST, MORALIST, AND MARXIST
APPROACHES
Is it possible to criticize a literary selection without being too
judgmental?
Yes! It is possible with the help of literary approaches. Basically,
these literary approaches act as different lenses critics used to view
and talk not only about literature but also about arts and culture.
In this module, you need to be a literary critic. You are tasked to
explain and to reach a critical understanding of what literary texts
mean in terms of their content, appeal to society, and influence of
economic status.
Study the table below as you compare and contrast
Structuralist/Formalist, Moralist, and Marxist approaches. The story
 APPROACHES PROPONENT/S
Structuralist/Formalist Ferdinand de Saussure
=father of Structuralism
whose ideas on structure in
language has laid the
foundation the progress of
the linguistic sciences
Roman Jakobson
= the bridge between
Russian Formalism and
structuralism
DEFINITION
►Formalism does not
require any research. It
emphasizes the value of
literature apart from its
context.
►All critical approaches
must begin here.
►Basically, it focuses on
the elements of a story,
symbolism, figurative
language, and structure.
APPROACHES PROPONENT/S DEFINITION
Plato ►Moralism is most
=if art does not teach useful when considering
morality and ethics, then themes of works. It
Moralist it is damaging to its doesn’t view literature as
audience an “art” apart from moral
Aristotle implications.
=elements such as ►It recognizes that
language, character, plot, literature can affect
thought, song, rhythm, readers and that the
and diction influence message of a work is
audience’s katharsis in important.
the work ►It asserts that the
purpose of literature is to
teach morality and to
instill values.
APPROACHES PROPONENT/S DEFINITION
Karl Marx ►Marxism focuses on
= postulates that the how power, money, and
struggle between social politics play its role in
Marxist classes (the bourgeoisie literary texts and literary
or capitalists and the societies.
proletariat or workers) ►It focuses the ways on
defines the economic which dominant/majority
relations in a capitalist groups take advantage of
economy and will those deemed as
inevitably lead to subordinate/minority.
revolutionary ►It implies the ways in
communism. which people are
alienated from one
another because of
power, money, and
politics.
APPROACHES CRITICAL QUESTIONS EXAMPLES

➢ ?Who is narrating or telling what happens (Analysis from

in the work?
➢ ?What is the plot? How is the plot related
to its structure?
➢ ?Who are the major and minor characters,
Moralist what do they represent, and how do they relate
to one another?
➢ ?What is the setting? How is the setting
related to what we know of the characters and
their actions? To what extent is the setting
symbolic?
➢ ?What kind of language does the author
use to describe, narrate, explain, or otherwise
create the world of the literary work? More
specifically, what images, similes, metaphors,
symbols appear in the work?
“The Necklace”)
►Symbolism: the necklace as
deception; and the necklace
as an illusion of wealth.
►The characters are very
well-represented, Monsieur
Loisel (whom Mathilde was
married to…both from a
family of clerks), Mathilde
(who longs to mingle with
high society), Madame
Forestier (whom Mathilde
envies so much).
APPROACHES CRITICAL EXAMPLES
QUESTIONS
(Analysis from
➢ ?What enduring “The Necklace”)
truth is revealed in the Good morals:
theme of this work? ►Mathilde took responsibility over
replacing the lost jewelry.
Structuralist/ ➢ ?How are the ►Mathilde became a stronger
Formalist actions of the protagonist woman after all her struggles, as
rewarded and the actions consequences on losing the necklace.
of the antagonist ►Mr. Loisel provided money so
punished? Mathilde will be able to buy a new
➢ ?What is the dress, even though he is saving it for
relationship of each part himself.
of the work to the work ►Symbolism: The elegant ball dress
symbolizes the wealthy lifestyle
as a whole? How are the
Mathilde is dreaming of; in contrast
parts related to one to, the modest clothes she wears in
another? ordinary life.
APPROACHE CRITICAL QUESTIONS EXAMPLES
S
➢ ?Who are powerful in the text and who are (Analysis from
powerless? “The Necklace”)
➢ ?What is the economic status of the characters? ►Mathilde believes that
What happens to them because of this status? wealth may give her
➢ ?How do they fare against economic and satisfaction in life. She
Marxist political odds? also believed it was an
➢ ?What other conditions stemming from their ill-fate for her being
class does the writer emphasize? (e.g., poor born to a family of clerk
education, poor nutrition, poor health care, despite her beauty.
inadequate opportunity) ►Mathilde worries she
➢ ?To what extent does the work fail by will be humiliated by
overlooking the economic, social and political looking poor among
implications of its material? other women who are
rich.
In what other ways does economic determinism affect the work? How
should readers consider the story in today’s modern economic setting
(nationally, globally, etc.)