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