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

• The impression it leaves on you• How it changes/affects you• How the elements of literature work

to affect your reading experience…

Reader Response cont...

• Things that may affect your reading include:– Literary elements like…

PlotSettingCharacterizationStructureStyle AtmosphereToneMoodTheme

Remember:

Always bring it back to how it affects YOU!!!

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???

• 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…

Novel Genres…

A. Picaresque- social underdog has humorous adventures and comments on society

B. Historical- uses setting/characters/ situations from history and builds on them

C. Social- depicts how people acted in a certain time period (Novel of Manners)

D. Metaphysical- deals with the “Truth”; usually religion or philosophy

E. Bildungsroman-(German=formation) coming of age, growing up

F. Psychological- deals with the workings of the mind (mental disorders or struggles)

G. Traditional Romance- ADVENTURE (not love)• Modern Romance- sex and love

H. Gothic- deals with supernatural event and dark mood/setting

I. Science Fiction- explores the possibilities of this and other worlds

J. Epistolary- series of letters or diary entries

K. Propaganda- encourages readers to take a certain point of view

L. Utopian/Dystopian- deals with the complications of mankind in the “perfect” (utopian) or “imperfect” (dystopian) world

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?

4. Psychological Criticism

• Looks at literature through Freud’s psychological theories

A. Most mental processes are subconscious (not done on purpose)

B. All human behavior is motivated by sexC. We control our desires and instinctive

actions because of social pressure to “behave”

D. We repress “taboo” desires, thoughts and memories (keep them from our thoughts)

• Freud identified three parts of the human mind…

A. Id• The center of all urges and subconscious desires• Untamed passions, emotions, needs• Pleasure principle = instinctive desires/needs

B. Ego• The rational governing agent of the mind• Controls your actions to protect the self• Reality principle = reason and good sense

C. Superego• The other rational governing agent of mind• Controls your actions to protect others/society• Morality principle = conformity to social rules

Other psychological principles seen in literature…

A. The Oedipus Complex• Inappropriate desire for the parent of the opposite

sex

B. Parental Rebellion• Rebelling against parents (especially the father) to

assert individuality/power

C. Phallic Symbols• Items in the literature symbolizing the penis –

usually to assert power/manhood

D. Oral/Anal Fixations• Characters have a need to constantly occupy the

mouth (smoke, chew, eat) or are compulsively detail obsessed

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

Common Archetypal Images found in literature…

A. 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

B. Sun• Creative energy; law in nature; thinking-

enlightenment• Rising Sun- birth; creation; enlightenment; new

beginning• Setting Sun- death; destruction; failure; the end

Archetypal Images cont…

C. 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

ORDeath; terror; the supernatural;

blinding truth (evil so black that it is white)Think of pink, gray, purple, and orange as combinations of other

colors

Archetypal Images cont…

D. Circle• Wholeness; unity; cycle of life; end bringing you

back to the beginning

E. Serpent (worm, snake)• Energy; force; evil; corruption; sensuality;

destruction

F. 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

Archetypal Images cont…

G. Garden• Paradise; innocence

H. Tree• Inexhaustible life; growth; phases of life

I. Desert• Emptiness; death

J. Mountain• Striving to attain some goal; inspiration;

obstacles to overcome

Archetypal Characters

A. 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)

B. Sacrificial Scapegoat (Christ Figure)• Character who must die or be sacrificed so that

others can live on

C. Archetypal Women1. Good Mother- life; birth; warmth; nourishment;

protection; fertility (good female character)2. Terrible Mother- witch; siren; whore; femme fatale;

evil; corruption (bad female character)3. Ingenue- perfection; spirituality; angelic goodness

(perfectly innocent, beautiful female character)

Archetypal Characters cont…

D. Wise Old Man• Supporting character; offers hero knowledge,

insight, wisdom, good will, help

E. 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

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.

TheEnd!