Transcript Intro to Literary Theory - Grayslake North High School

INTRO TO LITERARY
THEORY
Cher Schwartz
What is literary theory/criticism/lens?

interpretive tools that help us think more deeply and
insightfully about the literature that we read.


Over time, different schools of literary criticism have
developed, each with its own approaches to the act of
reading.
these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view
and talk about art, literature, and even culture. These
different lenses allow critics to consider works of art
based on certain assumptions within that school of
theory. The different lenses also allow critics to focus on
particular aspects of a work they consider important.
Disclaimer!!!!



Please note that the schools of literary criticism and
their explanations included here are by no means the
only ways of distinguishing these separate areas of
theory.
many critics use tools from two or more schools in their
work. Some would define differently or greatly expand
the (very) general statements given here.
Once you have a general understanding of each
theory, you can begin utilizing your own interpretation
and experiences into the lens.

In short: there is no specific, black-and-white formula- that’s
for math/science


Although philosophers, critics, educators and authors
have been writing about writing since ancient times,
contemporary schools of literary theory have
cohered from these discussions and now influence
how scholars look at and write about literature.
The following sections overview these movements in
critical theory. Though the timeline on the next slide
roughly follows a chronological order, I have placed
some schools closer together because they are so
closely aligned.
Literary Theory Timeline











Moral Criticism, Dramatic Construction (~360 BC-present)
Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (1930s-present)
Psychoanalytic Criticism, Jungian Criticism(1930s-present)
Marxist Criticism (1930s-present)
Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present)
Structuralism/Semiotics (1920s-present)
Post-Structuralism/Deconstruction (1966-present)
New Historicism/Cultural Studies (1980s-present)
Post-Colonial Criticism (1990s-present)
Feminist Criticism (1960s-present)
Gender/Queer Studies (1970s-present)
Archetypal Theory


argues that archetypes determine the form and function
of literary works, that a text's meaning is shaped by
cultural and psychological myths.
Archetypes are the unknowable basic forms personified
or concretized in recurring images, symbols, or patterns
which may include motifs such as the quest or the
heavenly ascent, recognizable character types such as
the trickster or the hero, symbols such as the apple or
snake, or images such as crucifixion (as in King Kong,
or Bride of Frankenstein)--all laden with meaning
already when employed in a particular work


Archetypal images and story patterns encourage
readers (and viewers of films and advertisements)
to participate ritualistically in basic beliefs, fears,
and anxieties of their age.
These archetypal features not only constitute the
intelligibility of the text but also tap into a level of
desires and anxieties of humankind.