Literary Criticism Essay Information

Choose ONE of the literary theories you have written about on this blog. Expand your ideas from that journal entry into a five-paragraph essay that is 500-750 words in length. 

In your essay strive to do the following:

• Organize your essay into paragraphs that include an introduction, body, and conclusion. Connect ideas with transitions.
• Include the author's name and title in the introduction.
• Include an interpretation of the work using the critical lens you have chosen. This should NOT be summary, but rather an explanation of what the work means according to the lens.
• Incorporate abundant, detailed evidence from the text to support your interpretation. Quote the evidence from your book using correct format for citations.
• In addition to interpretation, please give an analysis of at least one literary technique the author of your chosen book included. Examples of literary techniques include symbolism, characterization, theme, irony, imagery, tone, etc.
• Write in third person and in present tense.
• Proofread carefully to avoid errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Journal #16: New Criticism

In this journal, you are asked to write a close reading of your chosen novel, in the style of new criticism.

New Criticism is directed against the prevailing concern of critics with the lives and psychology of authors, with social background, and with literary history.

With New Criticism, we are asking you to shed your preconceived notions and focus solely on the text itself.  While histories and reputations of authors are important they should not be the focus of your criticism.  Instead, you will be conducting what is referred to as a close reading of your text.  The main idea is that you will be taking apart a text and looking at its individual elements, such as theme, setting, plot, and structure.

By focusing on the text, new criticism involves intentionally ignoring both the author and the reader, and it works on the following two premises:

Premise #1: The Intentional Fallacy

It is impossible to know the author’s reasons for writing a text without directly asking him or her, and even if we did determine the author’s intentions, they don’t matter because the text itself carries its own value.

Even if we are reading a book by a renowned author like Shakespeare we shouldn’t let the author’s reputation taint our evaluation of the text.

Premise #2: Affective Fallacy

We shouldn’t waste time thinking about the effect a text may have on the reader because then we are polluting the text with our own personal baggage.

We should ignore how beautiful a poem may be or our reactions to an emotional novel.  If we give in to our emotional reactions we are less able to evaluate the text objectively

Historical and cultural contexts are also irrelevant in New Criticism.

Example of a close reading (To Kill a Mockingbird):

            Tom Robinson trial shows ways in which Lee’s use of repetition, coupled with careful, deliberate word choice, creates a tone of accusation and agrivation. This can be seen toward the beginning of Tom Robinson’s trial when Atticus is questioning Mr. Ewell: “Mr. Ewell,” Atticus began, “folks were doing a lot of running that night. Let’s see, you say you ran to the house, you ran to the window, you ran inside, you ran to Mayella, you ran for Mr. Tate. Did you, during all this running, run for a doctor?” (175)  This deliberate structure ties emphasizes important aspects of the plot of the novel.

For your close reading this week focus on doing the following as you read:

• Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text.
• "Annotating" means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases—anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond to a text in this way, we not only force ourselves to pay close attention, but we also begin to think about the evidence.
• Look for patterns in the things you've noticed about the text—repetitions, contradictions, and similarities.
• Ask questions about the patterns you've noticed—especially how and why.

Craft Technique	Possible Questions
Imagery, including comparisons: ·       Similes ·       Metaphors ·       Personification ·       Figurative language ·       Symbols	What is being compared? Why is the comparison effective? (typically because of the clear, strong, or unusual connection between the two) What symbols are present? Why did the author choose these symbols?
Word choice	What word(s) stand out? Why? (typically vivid words, unusual choices, or a contrast to what a reader expects) How do particular words get us to look at characters or events in a particular way? Do they evoke an emotion? Does the text use nonstandard English or words in another language? Why? What is the effect? Are there any words that could have more than one meaning? Why?
Tone and voice	What one word describes the tone? Is the voice formal or informal? If it seems informal, what makes it informal? If it's formal, what makes it formal? Does the voice seem appropriate for the content?
·       Sentence structure ·       Short sentence ·       Long sentences ·       Sentence fragments ·       Sentences in which word order is important ·       Questions	What stands out about the way this sentence is written? Why does the text have a short sentence here? (for example, so it stands out from sentences around it, for emphasis) Why does the text include a sentence that is really long? (for example, to convey the "on and on" sense of the experience.) Why does the text have a fragment here? (for example, for emphasis or to show a character's thoughts) Based on the order of the words in this sentence, which word do you think is the most important? Why? What does the text have by placing a particular word in a certain place?

Journal #15: Psychoanalytic Theory

In this journal, you are asked to write a psychoanalytic critique of your chosen novel. You don't have to be a psychologist to do psychological criticism; common sense and an interest in human thinking are the only essentials. 

Critics using this lens build their interpretations of literature on psychological concepts, many of which were developed by noted psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Those who espouse Freud's theories believe that childhood events, wishes, fears, or traumas are repressed to become part of a person's unconscious. The Purdue Online Writing Lab explains, "To keep all of this conflict buried in our unconscious, Freud argued that we develop defenses: selective perception, selective memory, denial, displacement, projection...among others." Many repressed experiences make themselves visible in the form of dreams, and sometimes, according to Freud, in the form of literature. 

According to Freud, "Creative writing is like dreaming: both allow wishes or fears to be fulfilled that would otherwise be suppressed." The critic's job, then, is to "make educated guesses about what has been repressed and transformed by the author, or by characters, or even by other readers" (Lynn 23). The author's own childhood traumas, family life, fixations, and such will be evident in the behavior of the characters in the literary work. 

Questions to consider for psychoanalytic theory:

• What forces are motivating the characters?
• Which behaviors of the characters are conscious ones? Which are unconscious?
• Are the theories of Freud or other psychologists applicable to this work? How so? To what degree?
• What role do psychological disorders and dreams play in this story?
• How does the work reflect the writer's personal psychology?
• What do the characters' emotions and behaviors reveal about their psychological states?
• How does the work reflect the unconscious dimensions of the writer's mind?
• Are there prominent words in the piece that could have different or hidden meanings? Could there be a subconscious reason for the author using these "problem words"? 

Looking for an example of psychoanalytic criticism? The article linked here contains a psychoanalytic analysis of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends along with an analysis of the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats. Note how the author uses textual evidence to support their analysis, and spends almost no time giving mere summary. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.

Journal #14: Historical Criticism

In this journal, you are asked to write a historical critique of your chosen novel. As Steven Lynn notes in Literature: Reading and Writing with Critical Strategies, "Historical critics begin from the commonsensical notion that there is certainly something 'outside the text' and that these...historical facts help us to make sense of literature. By reconstructing the past, understanding the historical context of a work, we're able to see more clearly through the lens of the author's time" (21). 

Historical critics assume that social, political, and cultural contexts affect the creation of works of literature and that the meaning of literature changes over time as these same contexts change.

Strategies for historical criticism:

• Research the author's time (the political history, economic history, cultural climate, social environment, etc.).

• Research the time in which the story takes place (this may be different from the author's time).

• Examine the text for references, attitudes, and relationships that may be better understood through research.

• Relate that information to the work.

• How was the work influenced by the time period?

• How does the work make statements about events or conditions of the time?
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Looking for an example of historical criticism? Check out this example from the Critical Cartoons website. Strive to use textual evidence in your response, both from the text you are reading and from any research you do. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.

Journal #13: Marxist Theory

In this journal, you are asked to write a Marxist critique of your chosen novel.

According to Marxists, literature reflects those social institutions out of which it emerges and is itself a social institution with a particular ideological function. Literature reflects class struggle and materialism: think how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines characters. So Marxists generally view literature "not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic criteria, but as 'products' of the economic and ideological determinants specific to that era" (Abrams 149). Literature reflects an author's own class or analysis of class relations, however piercing or shallow that analysis may be.

The Marxist critic simply is a careful reader or viewer who keeps in mind issues of power and money, and any of the following kinds of questions:

• What role does class play in the work; what is the author's analysis of class relations?
• How do characters overcome oppression?
• In what ways does the work serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it?
• What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts ignored or blamed elsewhere?
• Does the work propose some form of utopian vision as a solution to the problems encountered in the work?

So, as you respond, apply these strategies to your book. 

Looking for an example of Marxist criticism? The article linked here contains a Marxist analysis of Of Mice and Men. Note how the author uses textual evidence to support their analysis, and spends almost no time giving mere summary. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.

Journal #12: Feminist Theory

In this journal, you are asked to write a feminist critique of your chosen novel. Here is what Steven Lynn has to say about feminist literary criticism in his book Literature: Reading and Writing with Critical Strategies:

"Feminist criticism generally assumes, like reader-response criticism, that a literary work is shaped by our reading of it, and this reading is influenced by our own status, which significantly includes gender, or our attitude toward gender. But, as feminists point out, since the production and reception of literature have been controlled largely by men, the role of gender in reading and writing has been slighted. The interests and achievements of half of the human race have been neglected -- or appreciated largely from only one sex's point of view.

You don't have to consider yourself a feminist to benefit from feminist criticism. Simply taking gender into account, regardless of your social and political views, is likely to open your eyes to important works, authors, and issues you would have missed otherwise.

Although it is difficult to generalize, given the diversity and development of feminist criticism in recent decades, there are some basic strategies you can adopt. You'll want to consider the significance of the gender of the author and the characters. You'll want to observe how sexual stereotypes might be reinforced or undermined in the work. How does the work reflect or alter the place of women (and men) in society? Perhaps most powerful, imagine yourself reading the work as a woman. If you happen to be female, this last suggestion may seem easy enough; but feminist critics point out that women have long been taught to read like men or to ignore their own gender. So, reading as a woman, even if you are a woman, may be easier said than done."

So, as you respond, apply these strategies to your book. 

Looking for an example of feminist criticism? The article linked here contains a feminist analysis of a work with which many of you may be familiar, the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Take note of how the author avoids simple retelling of plot events. While some summary is necessary, most of the analysis focuses on how the characters subvert traditional gender roles through the course of the series. Remember to write two paragraphs; each paragraph should be at least eight sentences long.

Journal #11: Reader-Response Theory

REMINDERS ABOUT JOURNAL EXPECTATIONS:

Each of these journal entries should be at least two paragraphs (each paragraph should be at least eight sentences in length).

Remember, this is a graded piece of formal, academic writing. Every post you make should be of high quality and represent everything you know about communicating clearly and effectively.

Think about content.

• Engage with the material in a substantive way: attempt to dig deep and answer questions thoroughly. Avoid stating the obvious. Write at least eight sentences per paragraph.
• Use textual evidence whenever possible: refer to the text to make points that extend beyond it. Apply what you are reading to the real world.
• Make connections: draw course material into connections with issues of the day by attempting to integrate references to blogs, websites, online articles, etc. If you need more information about a particular critical lens, seek it out by doing some research online.
• Answer the question being asked: keep your responses focused around a central point or argument without straying from what is assigned.
• Keep your response formal: avoid using made-up words like gonna or kinda and never use texting shortcuts like u for you, lol, etc.
• Move the conversation forward: avoid responses to others where you simply say “I agree.” What else can you add to the thread? What new insight do you have about the original writer’s response? What questions do you have? Does your post bring the conversation to a screeching halt or does it extend it?

Think about conventions.

• Try to fix your spelling mistakes: use Google Drive for drafting your posts.
• Use capitals in the right places: people’s names, places, the beginning of a sentence, and on “I.” Using all capitals is like yelling.
• Punctuate properly: period at the end of a sentence, space after a period, comma, or end bracket. One “!” will do; you don’t need a string of exclamation marks.

As you continue with your chosen classic novel, you will be asked to apply (to the best of your abilities) two critical lenses each week to your reading. In your responses, you should avoid simply summarizing what you read; this is not a book report. Instead, focus on analyzing the plot, characters, setting, etc. through the assigned lens.

READER-RESPONSE CRITICISM

Many of you stated that reader-response criticism seemed the easiest to understand. Therefore, one journal this week will focus on reader-response criticism as it applies to your novel.

Consider the following explanation of the reader-response critical lens taken from Literature: Reading and Writing with Critical Strategies by Steven Lynn:

"Reader-response criticism starts from the idea that the critic's interest ultimately ought to be focused on the reader rather than on the text itself or the author. Without readers, it seems safe to say, there would be little reason to talk about literature; it is the reader who brings the text to life, who gives it meaning. Otherwise, it's just black marks on a white page.

How does one do reader-response criticism? If the goal is to offer a personal, subjective response, one simply reads the text and responds. As you can imagine, such a strategy has been especially popular because it really liberates the reader. It's difficult to see how any response could be wrong: who could say, No, that isn't your response? Some responses may seem richer than others; some responses may seem to deal more fully with the text; some responses may seem more authentic and honest than others. But any particular response may well help another reader to a more interesting or satisfying experience of the work."

With that in mind, in your response this week explain your response to what you have read so far of your assigned book. Here are some possible ideas to consider, but you are not limited to the topics listed:

• Note interesting words, images, phrases, or details. Ask questions and speculate about why the author might have chosen them. Describe how they make you feel.
• Write about literary aspects of the novel such as setting, characterization, dialogue, plot, point of view, theme, and symbolism. What do you notice about these elements of the novel?
• Make connections between the text and your own experiences. What does the reading make you think of? Does it remind you of anyone or any event in your own life?
• Make connections between the text and other texts or events. Does the novel bring to mind any other related issues from the past or present?
• Ask yourself questions about the text. What don’t you understand about the novel or a particular passage within the novel?