Intro to Literary Criticism:Strategies for Interpretation

Mr. Myles

Lindenwold High SchoolDept. of English

Intro: Literary Theory as a Lens

Sunglasses create a muted visual environment.

Amber glasses create sharp contrast between light and shade (good for snow skiiers)

Literature has many dimensions; literary theory helps us to see them all!

The Textual Level

Historical/Biographical

Formalism

Historical/Biographical

considers the literary work in light of what really happened during the period reflected

Context is KING!

insists that to understand a piece, we need to understand the author’s biography and social background, ideas circulating at the time, and the cultural milieu

Historical/Biographical (cont.)

focus on revealing the historically specific model of truth and authority reflected in a given work

involves impressively extensive research

How to use Historical/Bio

research the time period of the setting of the novel

research the time period of the publication of the novel

make notes of similarities you find between the historical information and the information that appears in the novel

How to Use Historical/Bio

while readingmake notes about characters who may be models of historical figures

make notes about places that may be models of historical places

make notes about rules, laws, policies that may have historical counterparts

draw conclusions about the author’s purpose

Formalism

examines the relationships between a text’s ideas and its form

CONtext not as important as TEXT.

look for patterns of sound, imagery, narrative structure, point of view, and other techniques

insist that the meaning of a text should not be confused with the author’s intentions nor the text’s affective dimension—its effects on the reader

How to use Formalism

notice literary elements (theme, setting, plot, mood, characterization, figurative language) and how they interact to create meaning.

notice any irony, sarcasm, parody and how it is created

How to use Formalism

while readingmake note of figurative language and its purpose

make note of instances of irony, sarcasm, satire or parody

draw conclusions about the author’s purpose

a triple entry journal would be good for this

The Universal Level

Archetypal Criticism

<< Carl Jung (founder)

Archetypal Criticism

traces cultural and psychological ‘myths’ that shape the meaning of texts.

certain literary archetypes determine the structure and function of individual literary works

literature imitates the “total dream of humankind”

Common ArchetypesCharacters

hero’s journey (the “myth cycle”)deathshadow – evil inside the hero, temptation, conflict, obstacles in the journeymother and father relationships“wise old man”“love interest”sidekickTricksterMaturation & self-discovery

Common Archetypes

Themesgood vs. evil or light vs. dark

misfit in society

interpretation of dreams

dead returning to life or advising the living

Common Archetypes

Imageswater—mystery of creation; birth-death-resurrection; purification and redemption; fertility and growth

• sea—mother of life; spiritual mystery and infinity; death and rebirth; timelessness and eternity; the unconscious

• rivers—death and rebirth (baptism); flowing of time into eternity; transitional phases of the life cycle; incarnations of deities

Common Archetypes

ImagesSun (fire and sky)—creative energy; law in nature; consciousnes (thinking, enlightenment, wisdom, spiritual vision); father principle (moon and earth)

• rising sun—birth; creation; enlightenment

• setting sun—death

Common Archetypes

ImagesColors

• red—blood; sacrifice; violent passion; disorder

• green—growth; sensation; hope; fertility; in negative context may be associated with death and decay

• black—darkness; primal wisdom; death; melancholy

• white—positive—light; purity; innocence; negative—death; terror; supernatural

Common Archetypes

Imagesserpent—energy; evil; corruption; sensuality

Woman• good mother

• terrible mother—witch; promiscuous woman

• soul mate

Common Motifs or Patterns

Creation

immortality

heroquest

initiation

sacrificial lamb/scapegoat

How to Use Archetypal Criticism

Look for patterns, images, motifs that are common to literatureResearch common archetypes in literature

use information from Carl Jung

While readingkeep notes of images, patterns, motifsdraw conclusions about the representation of archetypes in the work

The Psychological Level

Psychoanalytical Criticism

Sigmund Freud! >>>

Psychoanalytic Criticismargues that unresolved and sometimes unconscious ambivalences in the author’s own life may affect a literary workthe literary work is a manifestation of the author’s own neuroses (fears, worries, paranoia, etc.)focuses on apparent dilemmas and conflicts in a work and attempt to read an author’s own family life and traumas into the actions of their characters

Also urges us to consider the psychological motivations of the characters within a narrative (id/ego/superego, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, etc.)

How to use Psychoanalytic CriticismResearch the author’s biographyResearch Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of DreamsResearch the concepts of Id, Ego, and SuperegoWhile reading

keep notes of character actions, attitudes and events in the story and try to find psychological explanations for them. (Example: “In Raisin in the Sun, Walter Younger appears to be suffering from a need for self-actualization” or “The battles in Beowulf reflect the struggle between id, ego and superego”). draw conclusions about attitudes represented in the author’s biography and those that appear in the novel

The Social Level

Moral/Philosophical

Feminist Criticism

Marxist Criticism

Karl Marx >>>

Moral/Philosophical

This one’s easy—What’s the moral of the story???

Feminist Criticism

critiques patriarchal language and literature by exposing how a work reflects masculine ideologyexamines gender politics in works and traces the subtle construction of masculinity and femininityexamines the position, status and portrayal of females in the literary work

How to use Feminist Criticism

While readingnote the way females are presented

note language used to distinguish the genders

note the politics between genders

note the status of women

Draw conclusions about the representation of the genders

Marxist Criticism

argues that literature reflects social institutions and that it is a social institution itself

literature participates in the series of struggles between oppressed and oppressing classes which makes up human history

Marxist (cont.)

focuses on the distribution of resources, materialism, class conflict, or the author’s analysis of class relations

examines how some works attempt to shore up an oppressive social order or how they idealize social conflict out of existence

examines how others offer an alternative collective life or propose a utopian vision as a solution

How to use Marxist Criticism

while readingnote social institutions

note social classes

note methods of oppression

note methods of overcoming oppression

note methods of distributing resources, materials, etc.

note class conflict

draw conclusions about author’s analysis of class relations

The Personal Level

Reader-Response

Reader-Response

insists that all literature is a structure of experience and therefore focuses on finding meaning in the act of reading itself examines how the reader joins with the author to give the text meaningdetermines what kind of reader or what community of readers the work implies and helps to create

How to use Reader Response

While readingkeep a response journal or log

note what appeals to you about the novel

note what you dislike about the novel

note what type of readers would like this book

So, what does Critical Theory look like in practice…?

Warm-Up: Review your notes from yesterday on “Archetypal Criticism.” Choose either picture and, on a piece of loose leaf paper, list the archetypes that you see.

What might a _____ say?