Critical Strategies for Reading & Writing

Reader’s Response  What is in reader’s mind not in the writing  Meaning evolves with reader, writing does not have a formula or pattern  About reader’s feelings not about meaning  About how a reader’s experiences, memories, and impressions shape the meaning of the text

Formalist  Focus on language, structure, and tone  Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic  Study relationship between literary devices and meaning

Applying Formalist  It is understanding written exactly as it is presented within literary devices  Helps the reader find the relationship between the form or arrangement of the piece and its meaning  There is no focus on the author’s life or the time period the text was written in  Focus is strictly upon how literary devices convey meaning

Deconstructionist  Do not have fixed meanings  Disestablish meaning rather than establish  Focus on gaps, ambiguity, patterns  Argues that close examination will reveal conflicting, contradictory interpretations

Biographical  Analyze an author’s life in relation to text  Analyze how characters may be based on people known by the author

Applying Biographical Female Characters of “Frankenstein” in relation to Mary Shelley’s life:  Characters have the same qualities as Shelley a lack of family support treated unjustly (Justine) not credited with wisdom or accomplishments (Safie)

Psychological  Sigmund Freud Dreams Unconscious Desires Sexual Repression Aspects of Psyche Id Ego Superego  Oedipus Complex- a boys unconscious rivalry with his father for his mothers love and his desire to eliminate his father in order to take his fathers place with his mother.  Electra complex- a daughters unconscious rivalry for her father.

Applying Psychological The mental state of Victor of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” can be applied here.  Upon evaluation, Victor is not within his right mind. His Id tells him not to bring this creature to life, his superego tells him this will be a great scientific discovery, and his ego chooses to give life to the creature.  “Man is made in the image of his creator.” Victor is mentally ugly because of his self torment and so the creature depicts this in his physical appearance Once giving in, Victor has committed psycho suicide

Historical  Literature is window into the past  Means of understanding a work of literature better  Literature is a product of its time

Marxist  Analyze literature as a means of aiding the proletarian social and economic goals  Focus on the ideological content of a story or book  Focus upon what takes place within the book, implicit and explicit values and assumptions about matters such as culture, race, class, and power  Stress that all criticism is political in some way

Applying Historical &Marxist Mark Twain’s “Huck Finn” can be analyzed using historical criticism.  It is a window into the past as it shows the racial inequality, the struggles of a young boy, and the obstacles which can be overcome through friendships  It hints to the past because it shows how far we, as a society, have come since this time period  It is a product of its time period as it uses language considered offensive today, but that was common during the time the text was written

Cultural  Examines popular ideas present within the work  Focus upon what the literary works reveal about the culture; their values, their norms, and what they believed in

Applying Cultural Examine if Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” gives the sense of contempt or hope for the culture.  Contempt is seen through: Savages (those in Africa), cannibals Company’s existence Lying (manager, company, Marlow) Corruption of company remains Company is still only concerned with self (greed)  Hope is seen through: Kurtz’s death (main evil) Marlow shows light in darkness Hope progresses/increases in darkness Marlow can continue working Lie could also leave hope for intended

Gender  Questions masculine and feminine roles  Feminist places literature in a social context like Marxism Explains how images of women in literature reflect patriarchal social forces that impede full equality

Applying Gender “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini is a text where a gender lens can be taken to study the roles of women.  Persecution of women in Afghanistan and their inferiority as opposed to their freedoms and leadership roles of women in American  The social differences between what is acceptable in each country  Being a successful woman in American versus being a housewife in Afghanistan  Ranking of women in social classes in each country  How women are treated in each country: Afghanistan’s women are more of an object and American’s women are their own individuals

Mythological  Archetypal  Interprets hopes, fears, and expectations of a culture  Focus on how humans account for their lives symbolically  Since myths try to explain universal experiences, they follow similar patterns  Look for underlying, recurrent patterns

Applying Mythological Myths which could be applied to Mary Shelley’s, “Frankenstein”:  Myth of Prometheus: steals fire from gods (shows hubris) knowledge used destructively and productively  Myth of Aristophanes trying to define love male and female are split “desire to make whole, complete, and entire what once was whole, complete, and entire.” (creature’s desires)