Literary Criticism[1]

8/2/2019 Literary Criticism[1]

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Literary CriticismWays to Think About

Literature


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What is Literary Criticism?

Its easy

The breakdown of a literary workfor any purpose of analysis ordiscussion

There are many ways to do this


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1. Reader Response

The feeling you get from theliterature

The impression it leaves on you How it changes/affects you

How the elements of literature work

to affect your reading experience


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Reader Response cont...

Things that may affect your readinginclude:

Literary elements like

PlotSetting

Characterization

Structure

StyleAtmosphere

Tone

Mood

Theme

Remember:

Always bring it back to howit affects YOU!!!


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2. Genre Criticism

Genre kind or type of literature

When analyzing, ask: What genre is this literature?

How does the lits genre affect it?

Are its genre characteristics well done,poorly done, effective, etc???


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The genre of this course is theNovel (duh)

Novel- extended prose narrative thatfocuses on characters in the framework

of a plot

*There are lots of genres of novels


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Novel Genres

A. Picaresque- social underdog has humorousadventures and comments on society

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

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

D. Metaphysical- deals with the Truth; usuallyreligion or philosophy

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

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


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

A. Gothic- deals with supernatural event and darkmood/setting

B. Science Fiction- explores the possibilities ofthis and other worlds

C. Epistolary- series of letters or diary entries

D. Propaganda- encourages readers to take acertain point of view

E. Utopian/Dystopian-deals with the

complications of mankind in the perfect(utopian) or imperfect (dystopian) world


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3. Historical/Biographical Criticism

Looks at the literature as a result of theauthors life and times

Ask

Is the authors biographical info used in thestory?

Does the author try to portray a certainhistorical time period or his own time period?

How was the literature received by critics whenit was published? Today?


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4. Psychological Criticism

Looks at literature through Freudspsychological theories

A. Most mental processes are subconscious

(not done on purpose)B. All human behavior is motivated by sex

C. We control our desires and instinctiveactions because of social pressure to

behaveD. We repress taboo desires, thoughts and

memories (keep them from our thoughts)


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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

A. Ego The rational governing agent of the mind

Controls your actions to protect the self

Reality principle = reason and good sense

A. Superego The other rational governing agent of mind

Controls your actions to protect others/society

Morality principle = conformity to social rules


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Other psychological principles seen inliterature

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

sex

A. Parental Rebellion Rebelling against parents (especially the father) toassert individuality/power

A. Phallic Symbols Items in the literature symbolizing the penis

usually to assert power/manhood

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

mouth (smoke, chew, eat) or are compulsively

detail obsessed


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5. Myth/Archetype Criticism

Myth- every civilization everywhere tellsstories (ancient times to today)

Archetype- universal symbols in storiesthat carry the same meanings no matterwhen or where they are used

These can be images, themes, patterns orcharacters


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Common Archetypal Imagesfound 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 oflife; flow of time

A. Sun

Creative energy; law in nature; thinking-enlightenment Rising Sun- birth; creation; enlightenment; new

beginning

Setting Sun- death; destruction; failure; the end


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Archetypal Images cont

A. 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


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A. Circle

Wholeness; unity; cycle of life; end bringing youback to the beginning

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

destruction

A. 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 of3+4; man+woman

13- unlucky; superstitious


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A. Garden Paradise; innocence

A. Tree Inexhaustible life; growth; phases of life

A. Desert Emptiness; death

A. Mountain Striving to attain some goal; inspiration;

obstacles to overcome


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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 fromimmaturity into adulthood (or ignorance intoknowing)

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

others can live on

A. 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 femalecharacter)


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Archetypal Characters cont

A. Wise Old Man Supporting character; offers hero knowledge,

insight, wisdom, good will, help

A. Trickster Supporting character Antagonist- evil, ill-will, causes problems for hero

Jokester- clown, fool, causes harmless pranks on heroor others for the sake of humor; can still help


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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.


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The

End!

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Literary Criticism[1]