literary criticism[1]
TRANSCRIPT
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Literary CriticismWays to Think About
Literature
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What is Literary Criticism?
Its easy
The breakdown of a literary workfor any purpose of analysis ordiscussion
There are many ways to do this
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1. Reader Response
The feeling you get from theliterature
The impression it leaves on you How it changes/affects you
How the elements of literature work
to affect your reading experience
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Reader Response cont...
Things that may affect your readinginclude:
Literary elements like
PlotSetting
Characterization
Structure
StyleAtmosphere
Tone
Mood
Theme
Remember:
Always bring it back to howit affects YOU!!!
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2. Genre Criticism
Genre kind or type of literature
When analyzing, ask: What genre is this literature?
How does the lits genre affect it?
Are its genre characteristics well done,poorly done, effective, etc???
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The genre of this course is theNovel (duh)
Novel- extended prose narrative thatfocuses on characters in the framework
of a plot
*There are lots of genres of novels
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Novel Genres
A. Picaresque- social underdog has humorousadventures and comments on society
B. Historical- uses setting/characters/ situationsfrom history and builds on them
C. Social- depicts how people acted in a certain timeperiod (Novel of Manners)
D. Metaphysical- deals with the Truth; usuallyreligion or philosophy
E. Bildungsroman-(German=formation) coming ofage, growing up
F. Psychological- deals with the workings of themind (mental disorders or struggles)
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A. Traditional Romance- ADVENTURE (not love) Modern Romance- sex and love
A. Gothic- deals with supernatural event and darkmood/setting
B. Science Fiction- explores the possibilities ofthis and other worlds
C. Epistolary- series of letters or diary entries
D. Propaganda- encourages readers to take acertain point of view
E. Utopian/Dystopian-deals with the
complications of mankind in the perfect(utopian) or imperfect (dystopian) world
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3. Historical/Biographical Criticism
Looks at the literature as a result of theauthors life and times
Ask
Is the authors biographical info used in thestory?
Does the author try to portray a certainhistorical time period or his own time period?
How was the literature received by critics whenit was published? Today?
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4. Psychological Criticism
Looks at literature through Freudspsychological theories
A. Most mental processes are subconscious
(not done on purpose)B. All human behavior is motivated by sex
C. We control our desires and instinctiveactions because of social pressure to
behaveD. We repress taboo desires, thoughts and
memories (keep them from our thoughts)
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Freud identified
three parts of the human mind
A. Id The center of all urges and subconscious desires
Untamed passions, emotions, needs
Pleasure principle = instinctive desires/needs
A. Ego The rational governing agent of the mind
Controls your actions to protect the self
Reality principle = reason and good sense
A. Superego The other rational governing agent of mind
Controls your actions to protect others/society
Morality principle = conformity to social rules
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Other psychological principles seen inliterature
A. The Oedipus Complex Inappropriate desire for the parent of the opposite
sex
A. Parental Rebellion Rebelling against parents (especially the father) toassert individuality/power
A. Phallic Symbols Items in the literature symbolizing the penis
usually to assert power/manhood
A. Oral/Anal Fixations Characters have a need to constantly occupy the
mouth (smoke, chew, eat) or are compulsively
detail obsessed
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5. Myth/Archetype Criticism
Myth- every civilization everywhere tellsstories (ancient times to today)
Archetype- universal symbols in storiesthat carry the same meanings no matterwhen or where they are used
These can be images, themes, patterns orcharacters
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Common Archetypal Imagesfound in literature
A. Water
Creation; birth-death-resurrection; purification The Sea (ocean, lake)- mother of all life; eternity;
death-rebirth
Rivers (any flowing water)- the life cycle; phases oflife; flow of time
A. Sun
Creative energy; law in nature; thinking-enlightenment Rising Sun- birth; creation; enlightenment; new
beginning
Setting Sun- death; destruction; failure; the end
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Archetypal Images cont
A. Colors
Red- blood; sacrifice; power; violence; disorder
Green- growth; hope; fertility; greed; money;innocence
Yellow- gold; happiness; optimism
Brown- reliability; conservativism Blue- truth; religious feeling; security; purity
Black (darkness)- chaos; mystery; unknown, death;evil; sadness
White (light)- purity; innocence; goodness
ORDeath; terror; the supernatural; blinding
truth (evil so black that it is white)
Think of pink, gray, purple, and orange as combinations of other colors
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Archetypal Images cont
A. Circle
Wholeness; unity; cycle of life; end bringing youback to the beginning
A. Serpent (worm, snake) Energy; force; evil; corruption; sensuality;
destruction
A. Numbers 3- light; spiritual awareness; unity; the male
4- circle; life cycle; four seasons; the earth; four
elements; the female 5- integration (bringing together); wholeness
6- evil; unknown
7- power; most potent of all numbers; luck; union of3+4; man+woman
13- unlucky; superstitious
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Archetypal Images cont
A. Garden Paradise; innocence
A. Tree Inexhaustible life; growth; phases of life
A. Desert Emptiness; death
A. Mountain Striving to attain some goal; inspiration;
obstacles to overcome
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Archetypal Characters
A. Archetypal Hero Goes on a quest, goes through impossible tasks,solves questions to save the homeland or others
Overcomes ordeals/challenges in order to pass fromimmaturity into adulthood (or ignorance intoknowing)
A. Sacrificial Scapegoat (Christ Figure) Character who must die or be sacrificed so that
others can live on
A. Archetypal Women1. Good Mother- life; birth; warmth; nourishment;
protection; fertility (good female character)
2. Terrible Mother- witch; siren; whore; femme fatale;evil; corruption (bad female character)
3. Ingenue- perfection; spirituality; angelic goodness
(perfectly innocent, beautiful femalecharacter)
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Archetypal Characters cont
A. Wise Old Man Supporting character; offers hero knowledge,
insight, wisdom, good will, help
A. Trickster Supporting character Antagonist- evil, ill-will, causes problems for hero
Jokester- clown, fool, causes harmless pranks on heroor others for the sake of humor; can still help
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Why did I bother writing this down?
Good question
Because you will absolutely, positively use
it throughout the entire semester
Really.
Keep it and bring it to class everyday.
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The
End!