!

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WhaL ls Lhe ulfference 8eLween
1heory and CrlLlclsm?
LlLerary crlLlclsm ls a value [udgmenL of a
parLlcular work. Such [udgmenLs are noL slmple
whaL consLlLuLes value? WhaL ls Lhe personal and
soclal value of llLeraLure? Cn whaL crlLerla do we
base a judgment of a works artistry (aesthetic)?
Such [udgmenLs are frequenLly based on crlLerla
such as:
ersonal or culLural slgnlflcance of Lhemes, use of
language
lnslghLs and lmpacL of LexL
AesLheLlc appeal
WhaL ls Lhe ulfference 8eLween
1heory and CrlLlclsm?
LlLerary 1heory ls noL a [udgmenL buL
undersLandlng Lhe frames of [udgmenL
Concerned wlLh Lhe naLure of llLeraLure, lLs
funcLlons, Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween LexL and
auLhor, reader, language, socleLy, and hlsLory
A lens Lhrough whlch one may examlne a work
Lo make Lhe crlLlcal [udgmenLs ln LlLerary
CrlLlclsm
lormallsLlc Approach
Close readlng and analysls of elemenLs such as seLLlng,
lrony, paradox, lmagery, and meLaphor
8eadlng sLands on lLs own all lnformaLlon needed
comes from Lhe LexL lLself
Awareness of denoLaLlve and connoLaLlve lmpllcaLlons
AlerLness Lo alluslons Lo myLhology, hlsLory, llLeraLure
Sees sLrucLure and paLLerns close readlng
rlmarlly used durlng Lhe flrsL Lwo-Lhlrds of Lhe 20
Lh

cenLury
This is the AP style of analysis, involving a -.+,$
%$&/"01 of a LexL and Lhe assumpLlon LhaL all
lnformaLlon necessary Lo Lhe lnLerpreLaLlon of a work
musL be found wlLhln Lhe work lLself
lormallsLlc Approach
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erformed wlLhouL research
Lmphaslzes value of llLeraLure aparL from lLs conLexL
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1exL ls seen ln lsolaLlon
lgnores conLexL of Lhe work
CannoL accounL for alluslons
1ends Lo reduce llLeraLure Lo [usL a few narrow
rheLorlcal devlces, such as lrony, paradox, and Lenslon
lormallsLlc Approach
! -.(/01,)& 23 4256$1,)&,/ -5,&,/$1 78()&,2%)
Pow ls Lhe work sLrucLured or organlzed? Pow does lL begln? Where
does it go next? How does it end? What is the works plot? How is its
ploL relaLed Lo lLs sLrucLure?
WhaL ls Lhe relaLlonshlp of each parL of Lhe work Lo Lhe work as a
whole? Pow are Lhe parLs relaLed Lo one anoLher?
Who ls narraLlng or Lelllng whaL happens ln Lhe work? Pow ls Lhe
narraLor, speaker, or characLer revealed Lo readers? Pow do we come
Lo know and undersLand Lhls flgure?
Who are Lhe ma[or and mlnor characLers, whaL do Lhey represenL, and
how do Lhey relaLe Lo one anoLher?
WhaL are Lhe Llme and place of Lhe workits setting? How is the
seLLlng relaLed Lo whaL we know of Lhe characLers and Lhelr acLlons?
1o whaL exLenL ls Lhe seLLlng symbollc?
WhaL klnd of language does Lhe auLhor use Lo descrlbe, narraLe,
explaln, or oLherwlse creaLe Lhe world of Lhe llLerary work? More
speclflcally, whaL lmages, slmlles, meLaphors, symbols appear ln Lhe
work? WhaL ls Lhelr funcLlon? WhaL meanlngs do Lhey convey?
8lographlcal/PlsLorlcal Approach
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Art seen as a reflection of authors life and times
(or of the characters life and times)
necessary Lo know abouL Lhe auLhor and Lhe
pollLlcal, economlcal, and soclologlcal conLexL of
Lhe Llme perlod Lo undersLand a work
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1he larger purpose of llLeraLure ls Lo Leach
morallLy and probe phllosophlcal lssues
8lographlcal/PlsLorlcal Approach
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Works for some works obvlously pollLlcal or moral ln naLure
Pelps place alluslons ln proper classlcal, pollLlcal, or blbllcal
background as well as Lo conslder Lhe Lhemes of works
8ecognlzes LhaL Lhe message of a worknoL [usL Lhe vehlcle for
LhaL messagels lmporLanL
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The Intentional FallacyThe New Critics term for the belief
LhaL Lhe meanlng or value of a work lles ln deLermlnlng Lhe
authors intent, which, unless the author has put into writing
hls/her lnLenL, ls noL rellably dlscernable
new CrlLlcs belleve such an approach reduces arL Lo Lhe level of
blography and makes arL relevanL Lo a parLlcular Llme only
raLher Lhan unlversal
Some argue LhaL such an approach ls Loo [udgmenLal
8lographlcal/PlsLorlcal Approach
-.(/01,)& 23 ;,2'5$<.,/$1 -5,&,/$1 78()&,2%)
WhaL lnfluencespeople, ldeas, movemenLs, evenLs
evident in the writers life does the work reflect?
1o whaL exLenL are Lhe evenLs descrlbed ln Lhe word a
direct transfer of what happened in the writers actual life?
WhaL modlflcaLlons of Lhe acLual evenLs has Lhe wrlLer
made ln Lhe llLerary work? lor whaL posslbly purposes?
WhaL are Lhe effecLs of Lhe dlfferences beLween acLual
evenLs and Lhelr llLerary LransformaLlon ln Lhe poem, sLory,
play, or essay?
WhaL has Lhe auLhor revealed ln Lhe work abouL hls/her
characLerlsLlc modes of LhoughL, percepLlon, or emoLlon?
What place does this work have in the artists literary
developmenL and career?
8lographlcal/PlsLorlcal Approach
! -.(/01,)& 23 9,)&25,/$1 -5,&,/$1 78()&,2%)
When was Lhe work wrlLLen? When was lL publlshed? Pow was lL
recelved by Lhe crlLlcs and publlc and why?
What does the works reception reveal about the standards of taste
and value durlng Lhe Llme lL was publlshed and revlewed?
WhaL soclal aLLlLudes and culLural pracLlces relaLed Lo Lhe acLlon of Lhe
word were prevalenL durlng Lhe Llme Lhe work was wrlLLen and
publlshed?
WhaL klnds of power relaLlonshlps does Lhe word descrlbe, reflecL, or
embody?
Pow do Lhe power relaLlonshlps reflecLed ln Lhe llLerary work manlfesL
Lhemselves ln Lhe culLural pracLlces and soclal lnsLlLuLlons prevalenL
durlng Lhe Llme Lhe work was wrlLLen and publlshed?
1o whaL exLenL can we undersLand Lhe pasL as lL ls reflecLed ln Lhe
llLerary work? 1o whaL exLenL does Lhe work reflecL dlfferences from
Lhe ldeas and values of lLs Llme?
sychologlcal or sychoanalyLlc
Approach
lreud: Map of Lhe mlnd
ld (prlmlLlve, always seelng graLlflcaLlon)
Superego (roughly, consclence, crlLlcal volce)
Lgo (consclous mlnd sLuck beLween Lhese Lwo
opposlng forces)
Lros (sexual deslre, urge Loward llfe, Cedlpus,
PamleL)
1hanaLos (urge Loward deaLh)
sychologlcal or sychoanalyLlc
Approach
MosL conLroverslal, mosL abused, leasL appreclaLed form
AssoclaLed wlLh Slgmund lreud (1836-1939) and hls followers
Lmphasls on Lhe unconsclous aspecLs of Lhe human psyche
LxperlmenLal and dlagnosLlc, closely relaLed Lo blologlcal sclence
All human behavlor ls moLlvaLed ulLlmaLely by Lhe prlme psychlc force,
llbldo
8ecause of Lhe powerful soclal Laboos aLLached Lo sexual lmpulses, many
of our deslres and memorles are repressed
1he psychoanalyLlc crlLlc Lends Lo see all concave lmages as female
symbols and all lmages whose lengLh exceeds Lhelr dlameLer as male
symbols
Such acLlvlLles as danclng, rldlng, and flylng are symbols of sexual
pleasures
lLfalls: Lhe pracLlLloners of Lhe lreudlan approach ofLen push Lhelr crlLlcal
Lheses Loo hard aL Lhe expense of oLher relevanL conslderaLlons, Lhey
ofLen slmpllfy and dlsLorL
sychologlcal or sychoanalyLlc
Approach
!"#$%&$'()
Pelpful for undersLandlng works whose characLers
have psychologlcal lssues
A valuable Loo ln undersLandlng human naLure,
lndlvldual characLers, and symbollc meanlng
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sychologlcal crlLlclsm can Lurn a work lnLo llLLle more
Lhan a psychologlcal case sLudy, neglecLlng Lo vlew lL
as a plece of arL.
CrlLlcs Lend Lo see sex ln everyLhlng, exaggeraLlng Lhls
aspecL of llLeraLure. Some works slmply do noL lend
Lhemselves Lo Lhls approach
sychologlcal or sychoanalyLlc
Approach
-.(/01,)& 23 >)?/.212',/$1 -5,&,/$1 78()&,2%)
What connections can you make between your knowledge of an authors life
and Lhe behavlor and moLlvaLlons of characLers ln hls or her work?
Pow does your undersLandlng of Lhe characLers, Lhelr relaLlonshlps, Lhelr
acLlons, and Lhelr moLlvaLlons ln a llLerary work help you beLLer undersLand
Lhe menLal world and lmaglnaLlve llfe, or Lhe acLlons and moLlvaLlons of Lhe
auLhor?
Pow does a parLlcular llLerary worklLs lmages, meLaphors, and oLher
llngulsLlc elemenLsreveal Lhe psychologlcal moLlvaLlons of lLs characLers or
Lhe psychologlcal mlndseL of lLs auLhor?
1o whaL exLenL can you employ Lhe concepLs of lreudlan psychoanalysls Lo
undersLand Lhe moLlvaLlons of llLerary characLers?
WhaL klnds of llLerary works and whaL Lypes of llLerary characLers seem besL
sulLed Lo a crlLlcal approach LhaL employs a psychologlcal or psychoanalyLlcal
perspecLlve? Why?
Pow can a psychologlcal or psychoanalyLlcal approach Lo a parLlcular work be
comblned wlLh an approach from anoLher crlLlcal perspecLlvefor example,
blographlcal, formallsL, or femlnlsL crlLlclsm?
MyLhologlcal/ArcheLypal Approach
Appeals Lo some very deep chord ln all of us
lllumlnaLes dramaLlc and unlversal human reacLlons
Concerned wlLh Lhe moLlves LhaL underlle human behavlor
SpeculaLlve and phllosophlc, afflnlLles wlLh rellglon,
anLhropology, and culLural hlsLory
MyLh ls ublqulLous ln Llme as well as place, unlLes pasL wlLh
presenL, reaches Loward fuLure
lnLeresLed ln prehlsLory and Lhe blographles of Lhe gods
robes for Lhe lnner splrlL whlch glves Lhe ouLer form lLs
vlLallLy and endurlng appeal
Sees Lhe work hollsLlcally, as Lhe manlfesLaLlon of vlLallzlng,
integrative forces arising from the depths of humankinds
collecLlve psyche
MyLhologlcal/ArcheLypal Approach
!ungcollecLlve unconsclous, lnLerpreLaLlon
of dreams, numlnous (Lhe blg dream)
ArcheLypes
1he shadow (devll)
Anlma (female ln male)
Anlmus (male ln female)
uescenL lnLo hell
Works besL wlLh dream-llke narraLlves
MyLhologlcal/ArcheLypal Approach
!"#$%&$'()
no oLher crlLlcal approach possesses qulLe Lhe same
comblnaLlon of breadLh and depLh
1akes us far beyond Lhe hlsLorlcal and aesLheLlc realms of
llLerary sLudyback to the beginning of humankinds
oldesL rlLuals and bellefs and deep lnLo our own lndlvldual
hearLs
Works well wlLh work LhaL ls hlghly symbollc
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8ecause Lhls approach ls so lnLeresLlng, musL Lake care noL
to discard other valuable instruments; cant open all
llLerary doors wlLh Lhe same key
MyLh crlLlcs Lend Lo forgeL LhaL llLeraLure ls more Lhan a
vehlcle for archeLypes and rlLual paLLers.
MyLhologlcal/ArcheLypal Approach
-.(/01,)& 23 =?&.212',/$1 -5,&,/$1 78()&,2%)
WhaL lncldenLs ln Lhe work seem common or famlllar enough as
acLlons LhaL Lhey mlghL be consldered symbollc or archeLypal?
Are Lhere any [ourneys, baLLles, falls, reversals of forLune, eLc.?
WhaL klnds of characLer Lypes appear ln Lhe work? Pow mlghL
Lhey be classlfled?
WhaL creaLures, elemenLs of naLure, or man-made ob[ecLs
playlng a role ln Lhe work mlghL be consldered symbollc?
WhaL changes do Lhe characLers undergo? Pow can Lhose
changes be characLerlzed or named? 1o whaL mlghL Lhey be
relaLed or compared?
WhaL rellglous or quasl-religious traditions might the works
sLory, characLers, elemenLs, or ob[ecLs be compared Lo or
afflllaLed wlLh? Why?
Cender Approach
Sees Lhe excluslon of women from Lhe llLerary canon as a pollLlcal as well
as aesLheLlc acL
Works Lo change Lhe language of llLerary crlLlclsm
Lxamlnes Lhe experlences of women from all races, classes, culLures
lemlnlsL crlLlclsm reasserLs Lhe auLhorlLy of experlence
Lxposes paLrlarchal premlses and resulLlng pre[udlces Lo promoLe
dlscovery and reevaluaLlon of llLeraLure by women
Lxamlnes soclal, culLural, and psychosexual conLexLs of llLeraLure and
crlLlclsm
uescrlbes how women ln LexLs are consLralned ln culLure and socleLy
Cender ls concelved as complex culLural ldea and psychologlcal
componenL raLher Lan as sLrlcLly Lled Lo blologlcal gender
!1@$?) pollLlcal and $1@$?) revlslonlsL
Feminist literary criticism has most developed since the womens
movemenL beglnnlng ln Lhe early 1960s
Cender Approach
!"#$%&$'()
Women have been somewhaL underrepresenLed ln
Lhe LradlLlonal canon, a femlnlsL approach Lo
llLeraLure helps redress Lhls problem
+,)$"#$%&$'()
lemlnlsL crlLlcs Lurn llLerary crlLlclsm lnLo a pollLlcal
baLLlefleld and overlook Lhe merlLs of works Lhey
consider patriarchal.
When argulng for a dlsLlncL femlnlne wrlLlng sLyle,
feminist critics tend to regulate womens literature to
gheLLo sLaLus, Lhls ln Lurn prevenLs female llLeraLure
from belng naLurally lncluded ln Lhe llLerary canon.
CfLen Loo LheoreLlcal
Cender Approach
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1o whaL exLenL does Lhe represenLaLlon of women (and men) ln Lhe
work reflecL Lhe place and Llme ln whlch Lhe work was wrlLLen?
Pow are Lhe relaLlonshlps beLween men and women or Lhose beLween
members of Lhe same sex presenLed ln Lhe work? WhaL roles do men
and women assume and perform and wlLh whaL consequences?
uoes Lhe auLhor presenL Lhe work from wlLhln a predomlnanLly male
or female senslblllLy? Why mlghL Lhls have been done, and wlLh whaL
effecLs?
How do the facts of the authors life relate to the presentation of men
and women ln Lhe work? 1o Lhelr relaLlve degrees of power?
Pow do oLher works by Lhe auLhor correspond Lo Lhls one ln Lhelr
deplcLlon of Lhe power relaLlonshlps beLween men and women?
ueconsLrucLlon Approach
8y some hugely overslmpllfled deflnlLlons, Lhere
ls no meanlng Lo be found
AnLl-analysls
1here ls no outside of Lhe text
LveryLhlng we know ls LexL
1exLs lnclude LhaL whlch Lhey excludewe
undersLand Lhrough comparlson, dlfference from
CpposlLes are united or they cant be opposites
deflnlLlon lncludes Lhe oLher
8equlres a greaL deal of subLleLy and sklll
ueconsLrucLlon Approach
8e[ecLs Lhe LradlLlonal assumpLlon LhaL language can
accuraLely represenL reallLy
LlLerary LexLs, whlch are made up of words, have no flxed,
slngle meanlng because words areby Lhelr very naLure
unsLable
8elleve LhaL whaL ls undersLood can never maLch up wlLh
whaL was orlglnally lnLended Lo be sald
ueslre Lo show how Lhe LexL can be broken down lnLo
lrreconcllable poslLlons
uo noL belleve ln auLhorlal conLrol over language
8elleve all LexLs are equally unLrusLworLhy and Lhere ls no
need to distinguish art from anything else
Can flnd unexpecLed slgnlflcance ln LexLs losL by oLher
llLeraryapproaches
The Yellow Wallpaper
and LlLerary 1heory
Take a look at the criticisms of The Yellow Wallpaper
and make noLe of anyLhlng LhaL sLands ouL and
dlsLlngulshes Lhls crlLlclsm from oLhers
uslng Lhe LexL and Lhe LlLle, deLermlne whaL Lheory ls
belng applled Lo Lhe LexL ln each crlLlclsm
ulscuss wlLh a parLner how each of Lhese Lheorles
changes the reading of The Yellow Wallpaper and
compleLe Lhe charL
lor Lhe Lheorles LhaL are noL covered by crlLlclsms
(formallsLlc, myLhologlcal/archeLypal, deconsLrucLlon),
descrlbe how each Lheory mlghL change your readlng
of The Yellow Wallpaper and complete the chart
!"#$%&%' )*$+%' "0 9$61(& 2%+3$-#