Literary Criticism Becoming a Critic

Interpretation To do an interpretation of literature is to create a narrative of meaning for it, to write about it in detail to amplify the thematic imperative it contains. The interpretation should take into account all of the elements of the story -- the characters, the plot, the setting, the imagery, and other literary devices -- to arrive at a satisfying explanation of the story's theme. You can arrive at your interpretation of any given work in a number of different ways.

Analyzing a text Text Culture -What language does the author use? -What connotations or denotations does the language have ? -What historical, political, historical, or other cultural movements are represented in the text?

Analyzing a text Values Psychological -What is going on in the main character's head? -What is he thinking and feeling? -What are his motivations for what he does? Values are the beliefs that a person or a culture holds most dear. -What values does the text support?

American Realism (1865-1910) 1) Detail 2) Verisimilitude 3) Social Critique 4) Attention to social class 5) Transparent language 6) Omniscient

Elements of a Story Narrator: Person telling the story Point-of-view: 1) First person: Narrator participates in the story- “I picked up the book.” “We went swimming.” 2) Third person: Narrator doesn’t participate in the story- may be limited or omniscient.

Elements of a story Conflict: Man vs Man Man vs Society Man vs Nature Man vs Self