Introduction Literary Criticism

What is “Lit Crit”? The best way to understand Literary Criticism is to understand its purpose: Understand a literary work Respond to a literary work (essay) Analyze political and cultural underpinnings of a literary work.

How do I use Literary Criticism? An instructor assigns a short story or novel to read then asks you to write an essay about it. How? What are you looking for? Literary Criticism can help you develop a thesis statement that argues your interpretation of a literary work.

Understanding the Author It’s impossible to know exactly what the author of a literary work was thinking when they wrote the piece, but through the plot and characters of the story, the author does get a message across, subtle or obvious.

Understanding the Author The historical context of a literary work also provides different perspectives. An author may write a preface or afterword explaining the work and reflecting on the purpose of the story. Looking at the time period a literary work was written and then analyzing it in contemporary times can help you discover ways of interpreting the work.

Understanding the Author The social and cultural background of a novel is very important when using literary criticism. Every literary work comments, in some way, on race, gender, religion, civil liberties, politics, or art.

Understanding the Author In fact, one of the primary purposes of literature is to tell a story that covertly gives an opinion about a particular political, social, or cultural view. The purpose of literary criticism is to “uncover” the possible opinions that the author made through the story.

Reading Closely To begin assembling a literary critique of a novel or short story, pay attention to the plot of a story, development of the characters (protagonists), scenery, even colors and symbols. There are universal meanings that writers use to help the reader understand the story. There are several definitions to help you….

Literary Terms Metaphor: a figure of speech based on some resemblance of a literal object to an implied object. Ex: “He’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic.” The statement is not talking about an actual picnic but implying that the subject is mentally unstable.

Literary Terms In literature, metaphor is used frequently. Writers use metaphor to express an idea indirectly: Ex: “As the lovers sat in the garden, the roses nearby seemed to reach full bloom, their fragrance embracing the night air.” The roses are indirectly describing the mood of the lovers.

Literary Terms Allegory: universal symbol or personified abstraction Ex: the idea of justice is personified by a blindfolded woman holding balances or a sword. Death is personified as the “grim reaper”. Love is personified by the goddess “Venus” or a cupid. The presence of certain images clues the reader in to the ideas of the writer.

Literary Terms Symbolism and Archetypes Archetypes are a type of symbol that are presumably understood universally when displayed. Ex: a young child is generally presumed to be innocent and carefree; hence, when a young child is used in a story a particular way, the author is communicating a symbolic message about innocence.

Literary Terms Symbolism is al the time in literary work. Certain images like water, darkness, animals may appear repeatedly in a story to develop the plot or character. An archetype is a frequently used symbol in literary works to communicate universal ideas.

Common Archetypes Water – creation, birth-death, purification Red – blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder Black – chaos, death, evil Seven – perfection Garden – paradise, innocence, fertility Green – growth, fertility Desert – spiritual emptiness, hopelessness

Developing a Thesis The thesis of your paper will argue for a specific interpretation of a literary work. For a literary critique there are many ways you can develop your thesis….

Developing a Thesis A “lit crit” thesis can… argue for a specific interpretation of a symbol or metaphor in the story. Compare or contrast characters in the story Establish specific characters in the story as allegories for indirect ideas Explain the relevance of the story to current events Discuss the representation of race and sex in the story Research the historical significance of the work in a specific time frame

Body of Lit Crit Paper Once you establish your thesis, the body of your paper will introduce supporting topics with clear examples from the text you are analyzing.

Body of Lit Crit Paper Topic Statement: “In Brave New World, the reservation where John the Savage lived reflects abandonment of primal, human emotion for synthetic drugs, eternal youth and sophisticated technology.” Ex: “An almost naked Indian was very slowly climbing down the ladder…’What’s the matter with him?’ whispered Lenina…’He’s old, that’s all,’ Bernard answered….” (Huxley 110).

Final Suggestions A well-written paper reflects thorough reading. As you read the literary texts, marks particular images, quotes, and plotlines that will help you support your interpretation of the text. Make sure you can support your thesis with specific examples from the text, including citations. Personal opinions are not acceptable.