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Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism. Ways to Think About Literature. What is Literary Criticism?. It’s easy… The breakdown of a literary work for any purpose of analysis or discussion There are many ways to do this…. 1. Reader Response. The feeling you get from the literature

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Literary Criticism

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  1. Literary Criticism Ways to Think About Literature

  2. What is Literary Criticism? • It’s easy… • The breakdown of a literary work for any purpose of analysis or discussion • There are many ways to do this…

  3. 1. Reader Response • The feeling you get from the literature • The impression it leaves on you • How it changes/affects you • How the elements of literature work to affect your reading experience…

  4. Reader Response cont... • Things that may affect your reading include: • Literary elements like… Plot Setting Characterization Structure Style Atmosphere Tone Mood Theme Remember: Always bring it back to how it affects YOU!!!

  5. 2. Genre Criticism • Genre – kind or type of literature • When analyzing, ask: • What genre is this literature? • How does the lit’s genre affect it? • Are its genre characteristics well done, poorly done, effective, etc???

  6. The genre of this course is the Novel (duh) • Novel- extended prose narrative that focuses on characters in the framework of a plot • *There are lots of genres of novels…

  7. Novel Genres… • Picaresque- social underdog has humorous adventures and comments on society • Historical- uses setting/characters/ situations from history and builds on them • Social- depicts how people acted in a certain time period (Novel of Manners) • Metaphysical- deals with the “Truth”; usually religion or philosophy • Bildungsroman-(German=formation) coming of age, growing up • Psychological- deals with the workings of the mind (mental disorders or struggles)

  8. Traditional Romance- ADVENTURE (not love) • Modern Romance- sex and love • Gothic- deals with supernatural event and dark mood/setting • Science Fiction- explores the possibilities of this and other worlds • Epistolary- series of letters or diary entries • Propaganda- encourages readers to take a certain point of view • Utopian/Dystopian- deals with the complications of mankind in the “perfect” (utopian) or “imperfect” (dystopian) world

  9. 3. Historical/Biographical Criticism • Looks at the literature as a result of the author’s life and times… • Ask… • Is the author’s biographical info used in the story? • Does the author try to portray a certain historical time period or his own time period? • How was the literature received by critics when it was published? Today?

  10. 4. Psychological Criticism • Looks at literature through Freud’s psychological theories • Most mental processes are subconscious (not done on purpose) • All human behavior is motivated by sex • We control our desires and instinctive actions because of social pressure to “behave” • We repress “taboo” desires, thoughts and memories (keep them from our thoughts)

  11. Freud identified three parts of the human mind… • Id • The center of all urges and subconscious desires • Untamed passions, emotions, needs • Pleasure principle = instinctive desires/needs • Ego • The rational governing agent of the mind • Controls your actions to protect the self • Reality principle = reason and good sense • Superego • The other rational governing agent of mind • Controls your actions to protect others/society • Morality principle = conformity to social rules

  12. Other psychological principles seen in literature… • The Oedipus Complex • Inappropriate desire for the parent of the opposite sex • Parental Rebellion • Rebelling against parents (especially the father) to assert individuality/power • Phallic Symbols • Items in the literature symbolizing the penis – usually to assert power/manhood • Oral/Anal Fixations • Characters have a need to constantly occupy the mouth (smoke, chew, eat) or are compulsively detail obsessed

  13. 5. Myth/Archetype Criticism • Myth- every civilization everywhere tells stories (ancient times to today) • Archetype- universal symbols in stories that carry the same meanings no matter when or where they are used • These can be images, themes, patterns or characters

  14. Common Archetypal Images found in literature… • Water • Creation; birth-death-resurrection; purification • The Sea (ocean, lake)- mother of all life; eternity; death-rebirth • Rivers (any flowing water)- the life cycle; phases of life; flow of time • Sun • Creative energy; law in nature; thinking-enlightenment • Rising Sun- birth; creation; enlightenment; new beginning • Setting Sun- death; destruction; failure; the end

  15. Archetypal Images cont… • Colors • Red- blood; sacrifice; power; violence; disorder • Green- growth; hope; fertility; greed; money; innocence • Yellow- gold; happiness; optimism • Brown- reliability; conservativism • Blue- truth; religious feeling; security; purity • Black (darkness)- chaos; mystery; unknown, death; evil; sadness • White (light)- purity; innocence; goodness OR Death; terror; the supernatural; blinding truth (evil so black that it is white) Think of pink, gray, purple, and orange as combinations of other colors

  16. Archetypal Images cont… • Circle • Wholeness; unity; cycle of life; end bringing you back to the beginning • Serpent (worm, snake) • Energy; force; evil; corruption; sensuality; destruction • Numbers • 3- light; spiritual awareness; unity; the male • 4- circle; life cycle; four seasons; the earth; four elements; the female • 5- integration (bringing together); wholeness • 6- evil; unknown • 7- power; most potent of all numbers; luck; union of 3+4; man+woman • 13- unlucky; superstitious

  17. Archetypal Images cont… • Garden • Paradise; innocence • Tree • Inexhaustible life; growth; phases of life • Desert • Emptiness; death • Mountain • Striving to attain some goal; inspiration; obstacles to overcome

  18. Archetypal Characters • Archetypal Hero • Goes on a quest, goes through impossible tasks, solves questions to save the “homeland” or others • Overcomes ordeals/challenges in order to pass from immaturity into adulthood (or ignorance into knowing) • Sacrificial Scapegoat (Christ Figure) • Character who must die or be sacrificed so that others can live on • Archetypal Women • Good Mother- life; birth; warmth; nourishment; protection; fertility (good female character) • Terrible Mother- witch; siren; whore; femme fatale; evil; corruption (bad female character) • Ingenue- perfection; spirituality; angelic goodness (perfectly innocent, beautiful female character)

  19. Archetypal Characters cont… • Wise Old Man • Supporting character; offers hero knowledge, insight, wisdom, good will, help • Trickster • Supporting character • Antagonist- evil, ill-will, causes problems for hero • Jokester- clown, fool, causes harmless pranks on hero or others for the sake of humor; can still help

  20. Why did I bother writing this down? • Good question… • Because you will absolutely, positively use it throughout the entire semester… • Really. • Keep it and bring it to class everyday.

  21. The End!

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