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| Critical Theories and Literature |
Through the course of reading, thinking and writing about literature, it is often helpful to consider some of the broader categories of critical theory. Not only will this enrich your understanding of a work, but in considering these theories, you may also discover new approaches to focus on in your writing. The following terms are defined briefly and are linked to further explanations from outside sources. If you're interested in any of these theories, be sure to investigate each more thoroughly--through reading and research--to gain a more complete understanding of the ideas involved. |
| Formalism/New Criticism |
| This school of criticism examines the work itself as a stand-alone product and does not take into account the history of either the author or time period. |
| Deconstruction/Post-Structuralism |
| This approach relies on the written product as a clue to the actual meaning of the writer, which can be elusive and self-contradictory (the opposite of Formalism), as no one can be certain of what the actual meaning is except the original writer. |
| Reader-Response |
| This method relies on the reader making mental and life-experience connections to the work. The meaning of the work depends upon the reader’s state of mind at the time of the reading and the reader’s previous life-experiences. |
| Archetypal (Myth) Criticism |
| This approach relies on the idea of the “collective unconscious,” a set of mythic experiences that repeat themselves throughout human history. The writer and reader are assumed to share these experiences; the writer reveals patterns that make the work comparative to and distinct from other works. |
| New Historicism |
| This methodology relies on the view that history is not the absolute rendition of societal events. The past is disputable and uncertain and may reveal heroic actions as nothing more than despotism. This approach tries to get away from the fallacies that dominant societies inevitably produce when creating their history. |
| Post-Colonialism |
| This viewpoint supposes a society moving away from cultural, economic, psychological, and social dependence on another society in the creation of its literature. |
| Lesbian and Gay Criticism (Queer Theory) |
| This school of thought deals with the effect sexual orientation has on interpreting a text. This view also deals with the literary representation of homosexuals in the past. Furthermore, it discusses the ideas of closeted and guilt-ridden sentiment (as well as current uncloseted sentiment in the gay and lesbian community), and also how gays and lesbians have dealt with making their work more acceptable to the general public. |
Sources: Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Literature. Harper Collins: New York, 1996. Belton, Robert. “Words of Art: Front Page.” Okanagan University College. Posted 2000. Accessed March 2001. |