Literary Criticism and Theory Lesson: History & Key Approaches
Lesson Overview
- What Is Literary Criticism?
- A Brief History of Literary Criticism
- What Are the Major Critical Approaches in Literature?
- Common Challenges in Studying Literary Theory
This lesson explores the history and key approaches of literary criticism and theory, providing students with a structured understanding of how literature is analyzed. It covers major schools of thought, from classical criticism to modern theories, examining their evolution and impact on literary interpretation. You will learn how different critical approaches shape the meaning of texts, including formalism, structuralism, feminism, and postcolonial theory.
What Is Literary Criticism?
Literary criticism is the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works. It allows you to develop a deeper understanding of literature by examining its themes, style, structure, and context. Unlike casual book reviews, literary criticism focuses on how a text functions and why it is significant.
By applying literary theory, you can analyze texts through different perspectives. Each approach highlights specific aspects of a text while minimizing others. Understanding these approaches helps you develop strong analytical skills and engage with literature in a more meaningful way.
A Brief History of Literary Criticism
Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle
Plato was one of the earliest literary critics. In The Republic, he expressed concern that poetry and fiction could mislead people and create unnecessary emotional responses. He argued that literature had the potential to be dangerous and even suggested banning poets from his ideal state.
Aristotle, Plato's student, disagreed with this perspective. In Poetics, he argued that literature, particularly tragedy, played an essential role in society. He believed literature provided moral lessons and allowed for emotional release, a concept known as catharsis. He focused on form and structure, laying the foundation for later literary analysis.
The Middle Ages: A Decline in Criticism
The Christian Middle Ages saw a decline in literary criticism due to the loss of many classical texts. Scholars at the time often viewed literature with suspicion. Church leaders, such as Tertullian, Augustine, and Jerome, expressed concerns about the moral dangers of poetry and fiction, reinforcing Plato's arguments about the risks of imaginative literature.
The Renaissance: The Revival of Classical Criticism
The Renaissance saw a revival of literary criticism due to the rediscovery of classical texts, particularly Aristotle's Poetics. Scholars studied ancient literature to establish artistic principles that could guide contemporary literary works. Aristotle's ideas about tragedy, plot, and character became influential once again.
What Are the Major Critical Approaches in Literature?
Formalist Criticism (New Criticism)
Formalist criticism focuses on the text itself by analyzing its structure, language, and literary devices. It does not consider the author's background, historical context, or the reader's emotions. It uses close reading to examine patterns, unity, and complexity within a text.
Example: A formalist reading of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 would focus on its use of imagery and metaphor rather than the poet's personal life.
Biographical and Historical Criticism
Biographical and historical criticism examines a literary work by considering the author's life (biographical approach) and the historical context in which it was written (historical approach). It analyzes how an author's experiences and historical events influence a literary work.
Example: A historical analysis of Pride and Prejudice would explore how 19th-century gender roles and marriage expectations shaped the novel.
Marxist Criticism
Marxist criticism analyzes literature in terms of class struggle and economic power. It examines how social class affects characters and how power is distributed within a text.
Example: A Marxist reading of The Great Gatsby would focus on the differences between old money (Tom and Daisy) and new money (Gatsby) and how class structure affects the characters' lives.
Feminist Criticism
Feminist criticism explores how literature portrays women and gender roles. It examines how texts reinforce or challenge patriarchy. It also analyzes female representation, agency, and voice in literature.
Example: A feminist analysis of Jane Eyre would focus on Jane's struggle for independence in a male-dominated society.
Psychoanalytic Criticism
Psychoanalytic criticism uses psychological theories, particularly those of Freud and Jung, to analyze characters' unconscious desires and motivations. It examines elements such as dreams, symbolism, and repressed emotions in a text.
Example: A psychoanalytic interpretation of Hamlet might explore Hamlet's hesitation to act as a manifestation of his unconscious fears and internal conflicts.
Reader-Response Criticism
Reader-response criticism argues that meaning is shaped by the reader's interpretation, not just by the text itself. It recognizes that different readers may interpret the same work differently based on their personal experiences.
Example: Some readers might interpret The Road as a hopeful story, while others might see it as completely bleak.
Postcolonial Criticism
Postcolonial criticism examines literature through the lens of colonialism and postcolonial identity. It focuses on power dynamics between colonizers and the colonized. It also analyzes how different cultures, identities, and histories are represented in literature.
Example: A postcolonial reading of Things Fall Apart would explore the effects of British colonial rule on Igbo society.
Structuralism and Deconstruction
Structuralism focuses on underlying structures in language and literature, such as common narrative patterns. Deconstruction argues that language is unstable and that texts contain contradictions that challenge their own meaning.
Example: A structuralist reading of fairy tales would analyze common character archetypes, while a deconstructionist might highlight contradictions in The Great Gatsby, questioning whether the novel critiques or glamorizes wealth.
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Common Challenges in Studying Literary Theory
Understanding Difficult Theoretical Texts
Many students struggle with the complex language of literary theory. To make difficult texts more manageable, you can:
- Break readings into small sections and take detailed notes.
- Read simplified summaries before engaging with the original texts.
- Discuss the material with classmates to clarify key ideas.
Distinguishing Between Different Approaches
With so many schools of criticism, you may have difficulty keeping them distinct. To overcome this challenge, you can:
- Create a study chart summarizing each approach and its primary focus.
- Apply multiple lenses to the same text to see how interpretations differ.
Applying Theory to Literature
You may feel unsure about whether you are applying literary theory correctly. To build confidence, you should:
- Start with a question related to a specific theory (e.g., "How does class struggle appear in this novel?" for Marxist criticism).
- Find textual evidence that supports the theory's focus.
- Clearly explain how the selected elements connect to the chosen theoretical approach.
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