Podcast
Questions and Answers
Postcolonial theory is most concerned with the ideological power dynamics present in which of the following scenarios?
Postcolonial theory is most concerned with the ideological power dynamics present in which of the following scenarios?
- The interaction between distinct cultures where one asserts dominance and control over the other. (correct)
- The study of ancient civilizations without considering their impact on contemporary society.
- The internal cultural shifts within a society unaffected by external influences.
- The nuanced exchange of ideas between equal cultures without a history of oppression.
Which critical approach emphasizes the reader as an active participant in constructing meaning from a text?
Which critical approach emphasizes the reader as an active participant in constructing meaning from a text?
- Historical Criticism
- Archetypal Criticism
- Reader-Response Criticism (correct)
- Formalist Criticism
A literary critic using Reader-Response Criticism would primarily focus on:
A literary critic using Reader-Response Criticism would primarily focus on:
- The social and political context in which the text was written.
- The author's biography and intentions when writing the text.
- How different readers interpret and experience the text. (correct)
- The recurring symbols and motifs present within the text itself.
A literary scholar seeking to analyze a novel through the lens of postcolonial theory would MOST likely investigate:
A literary scholar seeking to analyze a novel through the lens of postcolonial theory would MOST likely investigate:
How does Reader-Response Criticism challenge the concept of a literary work possessing a universal meaning?
How does Reader-Response Criticism challenge the concept of a literary work possessing a universal meaning?
A literary critic analyzing a novel through a Biographical/Historical lens would primarily focus on which aspect?
A literary critic analyzing a novel through a Biographical/Historical lens would primarily focus on which aspect?
Which critical approach emphasizes a close reading of the text itself, disregarding external factors like the author's biography or historical context?
Which critical approach emphasizes a close reading of the text itself, disregarding external factors like the author's biography or historical context?
A literary critic using Psychological Criticism to analyze a play might explore:
A literary critic using Psychological Criticism to analyze a play might explore:
Which of the following best describes the central idea behind Archetypal/Mythological Criticism?
Which of the following best describes the central idea behind Archetypal/Mythological Criticism?
In "Cinderella", analyzing the significance of the coach and staff, and noting the language used by characters, aligns most closely with which critical approach?
In "Cinderella", analyzing the significance of the coach and staff, and noting the language used by characters, aligns most closely with which critical approach?
Identifying 'the Good Mother' or 'the Fallen Woman' in a novel suggests analysis through which lens?
Identifying 'the Good Mother' or 'the Fallen Woman' in a novel suggests analysis through which lens?
How would a critic using Psychological Criticism most likely interpret a character's recurring dream in a novel?
How would a critic using Psychological Criticism most likely interpret a character's recurring dream in a novel?
Which critical approach would be most concerned with understanding how a literary work reflects the power structures and social norms of its time?
Which critical approach would be most concerned with understanding how a literary work reflects the power structures and social norms of its time?
The riddle about the surgeon who cannot operate on their own son highlights what key aspect of gender studies?
The riddle about the surgeon who cannot operate on their own son highlights what key aspect of gender studies?
Which of the following best describes a central tenet of feminist criticism?
Which of the following best describes a central tenet of feminist criticism?
In the context of feminist criticism, what key question might be posed about the character of Cinderella?
In the context of feminist criticism, what key question might be posed about the character of Cinderella?
A Marxist critic analyzing Cinderella would most likely focus on:
A Marxist critic analyzing Cinderella would most likely focus on:
Which question exemplifies a Marxist approach to literary analysis?
Which question exemplifies a Marxist approach to literary analysis?
From a moral/didactic criticism perspective, what is a primary consideration when analyzing a text?
From a moral/didactic criticism perspective, what is a primary consideration when analyzing a text?
What would a moral critic ask about Cinderella?
What would a moral critic ask about Cinderella?
Postcolonial criticism primarily examines literature that:
Postcolonial criticism primarily examines literature that:
Flashcards
Literary Criticism
Literary Criticism
Informed, written analysis and evaluation of literature.
Literary Theories
Literary Theories
Different perspectives used to analyze and interpret texts.
Biographical/Historical Criticism
Biographical/Historical Criticism
Views literature reflecting the author's life and times.
Formalism/New Criticism
Formalism/New Criticism
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Psychological Criticism
Psychological Criticism
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Archetypal/Mythological Criticism
Archetypal/Mythological Criticism
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Archetypal Women
Archetypal Women
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Hero Archetype
Hero Archetype
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Feminist/Gender Criticism
Feminist/Gender Criticism
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Patriarchal "disabilities"
Patriarchal "disabilities"
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Marxist Criticism
Marxist Criticism
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Proletariat
Proletariat
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Bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
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Moral/Didactic Criticism
Moral/Didactic Criticism
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Postcolonial Criticism
Postcolonial Criticism
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Decolonized literature analysis
Decolonized literature analysis
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Postcolonial Theory
Postcolonial Theory
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Historical Understanding
Historical Understanding
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Reader Response Criticism
Reader Response Criticism
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Reader Creates The Meaning
Reader Creates The Meaning
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Works Are NOT Universal
Works Are NOT Universal
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Study Notes
Literary Criticism and Theory
- Literary Criticism is an informed, written analysis and evaluation of a work of literature that is based on a literary theory.
- Literary Theories serve as a means to understand the various ways people read and connect with texts, acting as "lenses" through which texts are viewed.
- Applying literary theories can lead to a whole new perspective of a text.
- Literary Theory is also known as Critical Theory.
Different Types of Literary Theory
- Text-based theories include New Criticism and Archetypal.
- Author-based theories include Biographical and Psychological.
- Society/Context-based theories include Feminist, Marxist, Historical/Hermeneutical, Moral/Didactic, and Freudian/Psychoanalytic.
- Reader-based theory is Reader Response.
Biographical/Historical Criticism
- Views literature as a reflection of an author's life and times, or the lives and times of the characters.
- Requires knowledge about the author and the political, economic, and sociological context of their times to understand their works.
Formalism/New Criticism/Structuralism
- Involves a close reading of the text.
- All information essential to the interpretation of a work must be found within the work itself.
- Considers elements of Aesthetics such as irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor.
- Considers setting, characters, symbols, and point of view
- Does not utilize outside information about the history, politics, or society of the time, or about the author's life.
- When applying Formalism to a work, it is important to look for symbolic significance, figurative language, and internal ironies or inconsistencies.
Psychological Criticism
- Views works through the lens of psychology.
- Examines either the psychological motivations of the characters or of the authors themselves.
- Frequently applies Freudian psychology to works, but there are other approaches available.
Archetypal/Mythological Criticism
- Assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs (archetypes) that evoke the same response in all people.
- Identifies patterns and discusses how they function in various works.
Archetypes Examples
- Archetypal women include the Good Wife/Mother, the Terrible Mother, the Virgin (often a Damsel in Distress), and the Fallen Woman.
- Hero archetypes include the quest (overcoming obstacles), initiation (separation, transformation, return), and the scapegoat (dies to atone).
Feminist/Gender Criticism
- Analyzes the impact of gender on writing and reading.
- Critiques patriarchal society and its cultural and economic "disabilities".
- Examines representations of women in the work.
- Examines power structures and struggles between men and women.
- Addresses the female/feminine experience.
Marxist Criticism
- Focuses on struggles between classes, specifically oppressed and oppressing classes.
- Focuses on power and money in literature.
Marxist Critic Questions
- Who has power?
- Who lacks power?
- What is the relationship between power and wealth?
- Who is exploited by whom, and why?
- How does power remain constant or shift throughout a work of literature?
- What makes certain characters powerful or powerless?
Moral/Didactic Criticism
- Explores whether the work conveys a lesson or teaches the reader morals.
- Focuses on the "meaning" of improving oneself, your life, and your world.
- Considers whether the text can be viewed from a moral/didactic standpoint.
Focus of Moral/Didactic Criticism
- What ideas does the work contain?
- How strongly does the work bring forth its ideas?
- How may the ideas be evaluated morally?
- How are the actions of the protagonist rewarded and the actions of the antagonist punished?
Postcolonial Criticism
- Focuses on the reading and writing of literature written in previously or currently colonized countries.
- Literature is composed of colonizing countries that deals with colonization or colonized peoples.
- Interested in the cultures of the colonizer and the colonized.
- Investigates what happens when two cultures clash, and one ideologically fashions itself as superior and assumes dominance and control.
- Depends on historical understanding of time and place, including, colonizer-colonized relationships.
Reader Response Criticism
- Analyzes the reader's role in the production of meaning.
- The reader creates meaning.
- Considers the strategies employed by the author to elicit a certain response from readers.
- Denies the possibility that works are universal, instead claiming that meaning varies among readers.
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