Literary Theory Overview

A field of study that provides tools for understanding literature's meanings and influence on society.

A literary theory that focuses solely on the text itself, disregarding author biography and historical context.

A literary theory emphasizing close reading, analysis of literary devices, and the unity of the text.

A technique of analyzing a text in detail, examining every element for meaning.

A literary theory that explains meaning through relationships between elements within a system.

A literary theory that questions fixed meanings and focuses on the instability of language.

The analysis and interpretation of literature. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term 'literary theory'.

A method of studying literature that focuses on historic context, author biography, and moral messages within the text.

A statement that seems self-contradictory but may still hold a valid point.

A literary device where meaning is contradicted or different from the literal.

A concept that suggests there is no stable meaning outside of texts

A theory that analyzes literature by considering its social and economic context.

A theory that looks at how gender affects literature's creation and interpretation.

A theory that investigates the unconscious aspects of literature, like hidden desires, and fears.

A theory where meaning isn't set in the text but emerges from reader interaction with it.

A theory that examines how colonialism and its aftermath affects literature.

The idea that a text can be understood in many ways, not just one.

The understanding of how culture shapes our stories and how stories, in turn, shape our culture.

It offers powerful tools to interpret literature and understand its impact on our world, shifting focus from author and historical context to deeper meanings within the text itself.

Literary theory emerged from ancient philosophical discussions about literature and its role in society, but underwent a major transformation in the 20th century with new approaches based on language, psychology, and society.

Focuses solely on the text, ignoring author's life, historical context, and everything else.

Everything you need to understand a text is within its words.

Meaning comes not from words' direct connection to things, but from their relationships within a system.

The meaning of 'white' is understood by its difference from 'black'.

Questions fixed meanings, focusing on the instability of language and how meaning is always open to interpretation.

Both focus on the text, but New Criticism emphasizes close reading and analysis of literary devices to find deeper meanings.

Analyzing a text in detail, examining every element for meaning, including words, sentence structure, and literary devices.

They are essential clues for understanding a text's deeper meaning, showing how the author creates layers of irony, paradox, and ambiguity.

Post-structuralism suggests that meaning is fluid and constantly shifting. There's no fixed, unchanging meaning. Think of text as a river, always flowing, and meaning is like the water, always changing.

Deconstruction is a method of analysis that dismantles fixed meanings within a text by highlighting ambiguities and contradictions. It emphasizes the text's instability and the impossibility of finding an objective interpretation.

Marxist literary theory examines how social and economic structures influence literature and how it reflects class struggles, power dynamics, and economic conditions.

Feminist literary theory explores how gender representation shapes literature and how it often marginalizes women's voices. It examines the power structures that have excluded women from the literary canon.

Psychoanalytic literary theory delves into the unconscious aspects of literature, exploring hidden motives, desires, fears, and symbols within the text. It draws from the works of Freud and Lacan.

Reader-response theory focuses on the active role of the reader in creating meaning from a text, highlighting how individual interpretations differ based on background and experiences.

Postcolonial theory examines the impact of colonialism on literature and how it shapes the representation of colonial and postcolonial experiences. It explores the voices of marginalized communities.

Literary theory helps us understand how power dynamics operate through language and representation, revealing the ways in which dominant ideologies are enforced and challenged.

Recognizing multiple perspectives shows that there's no one right way to interpret a text, promoting open-minded and diverse interpretations.

Literary theory helps us analyze texts in a deeper, more nuanced way, applying critical thinking skills to real-world issues and understanding both life and texts more effectively.