Literary Criticism Fundamentals

Literary Criticism

Definition

• Literary criticism is the analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of literary works
• It involves the systematic study and appraisal of literary texts to understand their meaning, significance, and cultural context

Types of Literary Criticism

• Formalist Criticism: Focuses on the literary work's internal structure, language, and style
• Historical Criticism: Examines the literary work's historical context and the author's biography
• Marxist Criticism: Analyzes the literary work's social and economic context, focusing on class struggle and power dynamics
• Feminist Criticism: Explores the representation of women, gender roles, and patriarchal structures in literature
• Postcolonial Criticism: Investigates the impact of colonialism and imperialism on literary texts and their authors
• Psychoanalytic Criticism: Applies psychoanalytic theories to understand the author's unconscious motivations and the text's symbolic meaning

Key Concepts

• Close Reading: A detailed, line-by-line analysis of a literary text to uncover its meaning and significance
• Intertextuality: The relationships between different literary texts and their cultural contexts
• Canon Formation: The process of selecting and establishing a body of literary works considered essential to a particular culture or tradition
• Reader-Response Theory: The idea that readers' experiences and interpretations of a text are valid and influential in shaping the text's meaning

Famous Literary Critics

• Matthew Arnold: Advocated for the importance of literature in shaping cultural values and morality
• T.S. Eliot: Developed the concept of the "objective correlative" and emphasized the importance of tradition in literary criticism
• Roland Barthes: Introduced the concept of "death of the author" and emphasized the reader's role in creating meaning
• Michel Foucault: Analyzed the relationships between power, knowledge, and discourse in literary texts

Test your knowledge of literary criticism, including its definition, types, key concepts, and famous literary critics. Learn about formalist, historical, Marxist, feminist, postcolonial, and psychoanalytic criticism.