Literary Criticism Module 1 PDF

 Introduction to Literary Criticism Prof. Bryan Paul Espinosa Course Facilitator  Objectives CONTENTS Defined literary criticism, 1. Definition of Terms literary theory and other related concepts 2. Why Study Literary Demonstrate...

 Introduction to Literary Criticism Prof. Bryan Paul Espinosa Course Facilitator  Objectives CONTENTS Defined literary criticism, 1. Definition of Terms literary theory and other related concepts 2. Why Study Literary Demonstrated a broad theory & Criticism understanding of major 3. Characteristics of a literary theories and critical approaches Good Literary Critic 4. Overview of Literary Debated on the certain principles in literary theory Theories  WORD OF THE DAY Literary Criticism TRUE OR FALSE Literature is always written. FALSE TRUE OR FALSE Literature is always fictional. FALSE  Literature Prose Poetry Fiction Non-fiction Narrative Lyric Dramatic Biography Epic Ode Tragedy Legend Ballad Sonnet Comedy Short Story History Tragicomedy News Elegy Novel Melodrama Diary Fable Farce Essay  TRUE OR FALSE Literature is a collection of written work. TRUE  TRUE OR FALSE If literature is written work, all written work is literature. FALSE  Literature, whether written or oral, fictional or non-fictional, comprises works or a collection of literary pieces that embody the significant quality known as which qualifies such work/s as superior for having lasting artistic merit.  Literariness refers to the qualities or characteristics that distinguish literature from other types of texts. This is where literary theory comes in. sometimes designated critical theory, literary approach, hermeneutics It is the set of concepts and intellectual assumptions, general guidelines and philosophical discussions on which rests the work of explaining or interpreting literary texts. sometimes designated critical theory, literary approach, hermeneutics Literary theory is a school of thought or style of literary analysis that gives readers a means to critique the ideas and principles of literature. OxfordDictionaries defines literary criticism as "the art or practice of judging and commenting on the qualities and character of literary works.” Merriam-Webster defines literary criticism as "the study of the principles and methods of judging and commenting on the qualities and character of literary works."  Susan Sontag defines literary criticism as “an act of interpretation, and interpretation must have a ground, a justification, a reason for being” (Against Interpretation, 1966). Susan Sontag Writer  Jonathan Culler defines literary criticism as “the activity of interpretation: an attempt to determine the meaning and significance of literary texts, to grasp the principles that make them intelligible and interesting, and to assess their value and importance” (Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, 1997). Jonathan Culler Literary Critic  Terry Eagleton defines literary criticism as “a discourse which mediates between a literary work and the culture which produces and consumes it. It is a way of situating a text historically, socially, and ideologically” (Literary Theory: An Introduction, 1983). Terry Eagleton Literary Critic  Literary criticism is the study, analysis, and evaluation of imaginative literature. A debatable interpretation of a literary work A thesis that presents an arguable perspective of a literary work  LITERARY THEORY/APPROACH general guidelines and philosophical discussions LITERARY CRITICISM application of a literary theory to specific texts Everyone who expresses an opinion about a book, a song, a play, or a This is opinion. movie is a critic, but not everyone’s opinion is based upon thought, reflection, analysis, This is criticism. or consistently articulated principles. A literary critic is a person who studies and analyzes literature. A literary critic produces scholarship called literary criticism. When a work is officially decided to constitute literature, it enters something called the Canon. The Literary Canon is a collection of works that are considered by the powers to constitute literature. A work that falls into this designation is called canonical. An example from Aristotle’s Poetics: Aristotle defined Sophocles’ Oedipus Trilogy as the pinnacle of the Tragic Genre. From there, in part due to Aristotle's influence, Greek society valued Oedipus so much that they kept discussing, reading, referencing, and teaching it. Here are just some examples of books that are generally considered part of the literary canon: The Odyssey by Homer (750 BC) The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1320) The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1400) Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1606) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1818) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884) Ulysses by James Joyce (1920) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) https://www.openculture The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939).com/2014/01/harold- 1984 by George Orwell (1949) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951) bloom-creates-a-massive- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955) list-of-works-in-the- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) western-canon.html One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967) Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987) Review of terms Why Study Literary THEORY & Criticism Is criticism bad? I love reading and the pleasure it brings. Does analyzing and passing judgment hinder such pleasure? Literary Criticism is like taking a photo of the Statue of Liberty. Why? Why Study Literary THEORY & Criticism What Is the Importance of Literary Theory? Literary theory enables a broad appreciation of global literature. Reading a text through the lens of literary theory provides 1. a new perspective to better understand literature, 2. learn more about different authors' intentions, and 3. generally improve the quality of literature for both authors and readers. Literary theory can also influence literature, challenging texts to evolve into new territory as scholars and critics can Neil Gaiman shape the way writers approach their Writer craft and create their works. Characteristics of a Good Literary Critic "The Function of Criticism" An Essay by T.S. Eliot 1. A Good Literary Critic should have HISTORICAL AWARENESS. What’s our literary tradition? A critic should have a solid understanding of the literary tradition, recognizing the historical context in which a work was written and the influences that shaped it. Literary tradition refers to the accumulated body of literature, literary forms, styles, themes, and conventions that have been handed down and and many more… developed over time. It encompasses the works of previous generations of writers and the ways in which their ideas, techniques, and expressions have influenced subsequent literary creations. 2. A Good Literary Critic should observe IMPERSONALITY. How can we make our criticism Eliot advocates for a certain objective or impersonal? level of detachment or impersonality in criticism. He suggests that critics should not allow their personal biases or emotions to unduly influence their evaluation of a Ground criticism in evidence Consider multiple perspectives work. Instead, they should Situate the work within its historical and approach literature with cultural context Be aware of personal biases objectivity. 3. A Good Literary Critic should be an INTELLIGENT LEARNER. A literary critic, according to Eliot, should be well- educated and possess a high degree of intelligence. This includes knowledge not only of literature but also of various other disciplines, as literature is often interconnected with broader cultural and intellectual contexts 4. A Good Literary Critic should engage in COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.  In other words, a critic should recognize Eliot encourages critics to intertextuality in the text. Intertextuality is the engage in comparative concept that texts are not isolated entities but are interconnected with and influenced by analysis, drawing connections other texts. It refers to the way in which one between different works and text can reference, quote, allude to, or echo another. authors. This involves evaluating literature in What is an example of relation to its predecessors and contemporaries, Intertextuality? considering how it fits into the larger literary landscape. 4. A Good Literary Critic should engage in COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS. An Example of Intertextuality One notable instance of intertextuality in "Noli Me Tangere" is Rizal's reference to the character of Crisostomo Ibarra reading the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. In Chapter 13 of the novel, Ibarra is depicted reading Stowe's anti-slavery novel, and he becomes deeply affected by its themes of oppression, injustice, and the fight for freedom. 4. A Good Literary Critic should engage in COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS. By recognizing intertextuality, critics can explore the web of literary references, borrowings, and influences that shape a text. This approach allows for a richer analysis that considers the broader cultural, historical, and literary context in which a work is situated. Eliot believed that understanding these intertextual relationships is crucial for a comprehensive and insightful evaluation of literature. 5. A Good Literary Critic should possess excellent COMMUNICATION SKILLS. This involves the ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively, making their analyses accessible to a wider audience. These characteristics, as outlined by T.S. Eliot, provide a framework for the ideal literary critic who can contribute meaningfully to the understanding and appreciation of literature. 1.Historical Awareness 2.Impersonality 3.Intelligence and Learning 4.Comparative Analysis 5.Communication Skills  RECAP Objectives CONTENTS Defined literary criticism, 1. Definition of Terms literary theory and other related concepts 2. Why Study Literary Demonstrated a broad theory & Criticism understanding of major 3. Characteristics of a literary theories and critical approaches Good Literary Critic 4. Overview of Literary Debated on the certain principles in literary theory Theories Overview of Literary Theories Value-Focused Theories Classical Neo-Classical Moral Philosophical Theories on Human Experience Romanticism Realism Naturalism Text-Focused Theories Formalism and Russian Formalism Structuralism New Criticism Deconstructionism Environment-Focused Theories Historical-Biographical New Historicism Sociological The Influence of the Psyche Psychoanalytic Mythological/Archetypal Contemporary Theories Modernism Post-Modernism Reader-Response  WHAT DO YOU THINK? Which matters more? Author’s meaning or Reader’s meaning The author intended the poem to be an elegy in order to honor a loved one. However, years later, readers believe that the author was being sexist. Some also think that the author is a literary genius who was able to capture reality in a way that made people think. Others believe that he was a bad influence since his text suggests atheistic beliefs.  RECAP Objectives CONTENTS Defined literary criticism, 1. Definition of Terms literary theory and other related concepts 2. Why Study Literary Demonstrated a broad theory & Criticism understanding of major 3. Characteristics of a literary theories and critical approaches Good Literary Critic 4. Overview of Literary Debated on the certain principles in literary theory Theories https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Literature_and_Liter acy/Writing_and_Critical_Thinking_Through_Literature_(Ringo _and_Kashyap)/01%3A_Introduction/1.01%3A_What_is_Literat ure https://iep.utm.edu/literary/ https://typeset.io/questions/what-is-literariness-2fbyba78bx https://www.masterclass.com/articles/literary-theory- explained https://www.openculture.com/2014/01/harold-bloom-creates- a-massive-list-of-works-in-the-western-canon.html https://www.tckpublishing.com/the-literary-canon/ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/literary-criticism