1. Intro to Literary Criticism: Strategies for Interpretation Mr. Myles Lindenwold High School Dept. of English

2. 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)

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

4. The Textual Level Historical/Biographical Formalism

5. 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

6. Historical/Biographical (cont.) focus on revealing the historically specific model of truth and authority reflected in a given work involves impressively extensive research

7. 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

8. How to Use Historical/Bio while reading make 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. How to use Formalism while reading make 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

12. The Universal Level Archetypal Criticism << Carl Jung (founder)

13. 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”

14. Common Archetypes Characters hero’s journey (the “myth cycle”) death shadow – evil inside the hero, temptation, conflict, obstacles in the journey mother and father relationships “wise old man” “love interest” sidekick Trickster Maturation & self-discovery

15. Common Archetypes Themes good vs. evil or light vs. dark misfit in society interpretation of dreams dead returning to life or advising the living

16. Common Archetypes Images water—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

17. Common Archetypes Images Sun (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

18. Common Archetypes Images Colors 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

19. Common Archetypes Images serpent—energy; evil; corruption; sensuality Woman good mother terrible mother—witch; promiscuous woman soul mate

20. Common Motifs or Patterns Creation immortality hero quest initiation sacrificial lamb/scapegoat

21. How to Use Archetypal Criticism Look for patterns, images, motifs that are common to literature Research common archetypes in literature use information from Carl Jung While reading keep notes of images, patterns, motifs draw conclusions about the representation of archetypes in the work

22. The Psychological Level Psychoanalytical Criticism Sigmund Freud! >>>

23. Psychoanalytic Criticism argues that unresolved and sometimes unconscious ambivalences in the author’s own life may affect a literary work the 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.)

24. How to use Psychoanalytic Criticism Research the author’s biography Research Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams Research the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego While 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

25. The Social Level Moral/Philosophical Feminist Criticism Marxist Criticism Karl Marx >>>

26. Moral/Philosophical This one’s easy— What’s the moral of the story???

27. Feminist Criticism critiques patriarchal language and literature by exposing how a work reflects masculine ideology examines gender politics in works and traces the subtle construction of masculinity and femininity examines the position, status and portrayal of females in the literary work

28. How to use Feminist Criticism While reading note 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. How to use Marxist Criticism while reading note 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

32. The Personal Level Reader-Response

33. 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 meaning determines what kind of reader or what community of readers the work implies and helps to create

34. How to use Reader Response While reading keep 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

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

36. 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.

37. What might a _____ say?