Literary Criticism

1. Literary Criticism Reading and Summarizing a Literary Criticism

2. Any work with a unique aesthetic quality. Texts that have stood the test of time. Works of the imagination/creative writing. Works with a particular set of qualities—e.g., plot, character, tone, setting, etc. Works that emphasize universal themes (i.e., transcend the merely social or political). Works that fit the parameters of literary genres: poem, essay, short story, novel. Anything that is written. What is literature?

3. How do we read?(no notes) In general, to interpret something is to make it personally meaningful. Our brain takes raw data from the senses and makes it meaningful by relating it to our previous experiences. Most everyday language is fairly straightforward and requires little interpretation. Because literature presents us with more than one possible meaning, interpreting literature requires care and attention.

4. What is literary criticism? The disciplined application of theoretical principles for the purpose of analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating literary texts.

5. SOME TRADITIONAL APPROACHES • Historical—author’s historical moment is key to understanding a literary text • Biographical—author’s personal experiences are central to understanding the text

6. NEW CRITICISM* • Meaning resides in the text—not in reader, author, or world • Texts may contain numerous messages, but must have a unifying central theme created by the perfect union of all artistic elements. • looked at literary works on the basis of what is written, and not at the goals of the author or biographical issues *one type of formalism

7. READER RESPONSE Text has many interpretations—text & reader interact to create meaning Meaning ultimately resides in the reader’s mind or the consensual “mind” of a community of readers (this class, for example) A text’s truth is relative

8. STRUCTURALISM • Meaning resides in the structure of language, not in art nor in the reader’s mind • Scientific approach to literary analysis: structure of language as a logical sign system determines meaning • Interpret a text or part of a text by taking its language apart (study word derivations, sentence syntax, etc.)

9. POSTCOLONIALISM • Literature is a political tool—those in power decide what is “art” and Truth is relative • Focuses on the influences of colonialism in literature, Study the author’s (and reader’s) life & times; locate tensions between conflicting culture

10. MARXISM • Emphasizes class conflict Look for evidence of oppressive ideologies of the dominant social group; look for uses & abuses of power What workers look like to a capitalist

11. FEMINIST CRITICISM • Develops and uncovers a female tradition of writing • Analyzes women writers and their writings from a female perspective • Resists sexism in literature • Increases awareness of the sexual politics of language and style • Look for evidence of repression, oppression, suppression, subversion, & rebellion in texts by women; study women’s unique ways of understanding and writingabout the human condition.

12. Types of Literary Criticisms (con.) Psychoanalytic – Explores the role of consciousnesses and the unconscious in literature including that of the author, reader, and characters in the text (FREUD) Queer theory – examines, questions, and criticizes the role of gender identity and sexuality in literature

13. Literary Analysis Literary Analysis = A Quest for Meaning Question: Where can the true meaning of a story, poem, or play be found? Answer: True meaning can be found between the AUTHOR, the READER, and the TEXT.

14. Literary Criticisms OK – So Now what?

15. Task • Find a literary criticism for TKAM • READ it! • Write an MLA paper that does the following • summarizes the article and the author’s POV. • Provides you opinion about the author’s criticism • Specifications • MLA format • Works Cited Page • 1-2 pages double-spaced • Use at least 2 citations from your article in your paper.

16. Where do I find it? • Bloom’s Literary Reference • GALILEO • BOOKS • GOOGLE Scholar (not just www.google.com) When you’re looking: Make sure you find a literary criticism not just a summary!

17. How do I Summarize my criticism?

18. Paraphrasing • Paraphrasing involves translating and interpreting the mainidea of verbal or written information. • Paraphrasing is not the exact word-for-word repetition of information.

19. Steps to paraphrasing • Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning. • Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on another sheet of paper. • Write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase. • Check your version with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form. • Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or wording you have borrowed exactly from the source. • Record the source (including the page) so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

20. Summarizing • Involves reading the text and “boiling” it down to the main ideas. • Use your own words and a combination of the author’s words to make the same statement.

21. Direct Quotes • Keep the source author's name in the same sentence as the quote (or in the parenthesis after it.) • Mark the quote with quotation marks • Quote no more material than is necessaryDon't quote an entire paragraph • To shorten quotes by removing extra information, use ellipsis points (...) to show omitted text. • three ellipsis points indicates an in-sentence ellipsis • four points indicates an ellipsis between two sentences • Use quotes that will have the most symbolic, challengingimpact in your paper; too many direct quotes from sources may weaken your reliability, as though you have nothing to say yourself!

22. Your Turn On your handout, you will find 3 paragraph quotations. On your own paper, write a • Paraphrase • Summary • Direct Quote for each piece. Turn it in to the black basket when you are finished.