CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE

a new way to see it

FEMINIST APPROACH
While this approach isnt going to make me go out and burn bras or join the Spice Girls Official Fan Club, I will analyze how an author treats female characters in his/her literature.

FEMINST APPROACH
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Argues that concepts of "gender" are largely, if not entirely, cultural constructsthe effect of masculine biases in our civilization. Argues that the role of women is often neglected or minimized. Focuses on misguided and prejudiced views toward women.

FEMINIST APPROACH Feminist criticism examines: Patterns of thought, behavior, and values in relationships Power in relations between the sexes (physically and psychologically)

FEMINIST APPROACH
Some questions to ask while using this approach:

How important are the female characters?

Are they credited with their own existence? In their relationships with men, how are they treated? Are they given equal status? Are they ignored? Patronized? Demeaned? Pedestalized? How much interest do male characters exhibit regarding womens concerns?

MARXIST / ECONOMIC DETERMINIST

The primary focus is on how power and money work in literature.

Pay particular attention to how the author portrays various social classes.

MARXIST / ECONOMIC DETERMINIST

Marx believed history moved in stages:

Feudalism Capitalism Socialism Communism

Each stage was mainly shaped by the economic system.

MARXIST / ECONOMIC DETERMINIST

To understand the systems, focus on "mode of production" and who owned the "means of production". Example: Feudalism = Agriculture Capitalism = Industrial, bourgeoisie owned the factories.

MARXIST / ECONOMIC DETERMINIST

Marx saw class conflict ending with communism because there would be no more class distinctions.
He believed "history would come to its final resting place in a system free of exploitation."

MARXIST / ECONOMIC DETERMINIST

Some questions to ask while utilizing this approach include:

Who Who

has the power and the money? does not? happens as a result of this?

What

PSYCHOLOGICAL / PSYCHOANALYTICAL APPROACH

Im like a Psychologist-in-Training
While Im reading, I wish I could sit the author or his/her characters down on the couch for a quick session to discuss the reasons why decisions are made and behaviors are demonstrated.

PSYCHOLOGICAL / PSYCHOANALYTICAL APPROACH

When using this approach to analyze characters in the work, ask yourself:
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What are the obvious and hidden motives that cause a characters behavior and speech? How much background does the author reveal about a character? How purposeful is this information with regard to the characters psychological condition?

PSYCHOLOGICAL / PSYCHOANALYTICAL APPROACH

When using this approach to analyze the author, ask yourself:
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What particular life experiences explain subjects or themes in his/her writing? Was the authors life happy? Miserable? Upsetting? Solitary? Social? Competitive?

ARCHETYPAL CRITICISM
This approach examines similarities reflecting universal, primitive, and elemental patterns found in literature. Look for similarities in:

narrative designs character types images

Archetypes are identifiable everywhere:

works of literature myths dreams ritualized modes of social behavior

ARCHETYPES
A sampling of archetypes throughout literature:
Garden: paradise, innocence, unspoiled beauty Tree: growth; proliferation; symbol of immortality; phallic symbol

Desert: spiritual aridity; death; hopelessness

Creation: All cultures believe the universe was brought into existence by some supernatural being (or beings) Seasons:

Spring - rebirth; genre/comedy Summer - life; genre/romance Fall - death/dying; genre/tragedy Winter - without life/death; genre/irony

ARCHETYPES
A sampling of archetypes throughout literature:
Archetypes of Women: The Great Mother, The Good Mother, The Terrible Mother, The Bad Girl, The Virgin Mary
Wise old Man: savior, redeemer, guru; represents knowledge, reflection, insight, wisdom, intuition, and morality.

Freudian archetypes: Concave images (ponds, flowers, cups, vases, hollows) Phallic symbols (towers, mountains, snakes, swords, etc.) Dancing, riding, or flying: symbols of sexual pleasure
Water: birth-death-resurrection; creation; purification and redemption; fertility and growth Sun: creative energy; enlightenment, wisdom, spiritual vision Rising sun: birth, creation, and enlightenment Setting sun: death

ARCHETYPES
A sampling of archetypes throughout literature:
Colors: Red: blood, sacrifice, passion; disorder Green: growth, hope, fertility Blue: highly positive; secure; tranquil; spiritual purity Black: chaos, mystery, the unknown, death, evil White: (+) light, purity, innocence, (-) death, supernatural Yellow: enlightenment, wisdom Serpent (snake, worm): symbol of energy and pure force (libido); evil, corruption, sensuality, and destruction Numbers: 3 - light, spiritual awareness, unity (the Holy Trinity); male 4 - life cycle, four seasons; female, earth, nature, elements 7 - most potent signifies union of three and four, completion of a cycle, perfect number; religious symbol.

HISTORICAL / TOPICAL APPROACH

When you analyze literature using this technique, you identify the ways events in society influence a writers life and how that, in turn, influences what authors choose to write about.

This approach emphasizes the connection between events in the text and events from history or the authors life.

HISTORICAL / TOPICAL APPROACH

Some questions to ask while utilizing this approach include:

When and where was this novel written?

What do you know about the economic, cultural, political and moral context of this time period? What impact did this book have on society when it was published? How has its meaning/impact changed over time? How is the authors own life reflected in his/her work?

NEW CRITICAL / FORMALIST APPROACH

Requires a close reading step by step analysis and explication of the text. All elements (style, structure, imagery, tone, genre, etc.) should work together to create a literary work of art.

Attempts to evaluate the quality of the literary work of art.

NEW CRITICAL / FORMALIST APPROACH

Aspects to analyze/questions to ask while using this approach:

Analyze the function of individual passages: Do they develop a character, describe a scene, present an action, reveal a characters thoughts, advance an argument, or introduce an idea?
Make connections among passages: How does this passage relate to the earlier and later parts of the entire text? Evaluate the point of view: Is the narrator or speaker identifiable? How reliable is he/she? Does it seem that he/she is using the story for self-justification or exoneration? To what extent does the point of view make the work effective? What stylistic choices is the author making in this work? How do the style and theme influence one another in this piece of literature?

MORAL / INTELLECTUAL APPROACH

Using this set of lenses, I am predominantly concerned with the content and values presented in the work. My goal is to understand the lesson or message presented in the work and question whether or not it can help readers lead better lives or improve their understanding of the world.

MORAL / INTELLECTUAL APPROACH

Some questions to ask while utilizing this approach include:

What lessons are learned by the main character(s)?

What are the underlying messages presented in this book? What impact do those messages have on society (both then and now)?

READER RESPONSE
Focuses on the creative process individuals perform while reading a piece of literature and recognizes the variety of reactions readers will have to it. The connection between the reader and the text is critical.

READER RESPONSE
Some questions to ask while utilizing this approach include:

What does this work mean to you, and how do your values and beliefs affect your response?
What experiences have you had that can help you understand and appreciate the work? How can the work improve your understanding and insights of yourself or the world? Do you judge characters based on individual actions or based on their moral character over time? What lasting effect has this book made on your life?