Literary Criticism Approaches

Flashcard study set covering the definition, purposes, and major approaches to literary criticism: Reader-Response, Formalist, Psychological, Sociological, Marxist, Feminist, Biographical, Historical, and Sociocultural criticism.

How does Mark Lund define literary criticism?

Literary criticism is the study, analysis, and evaluation of imaginative literature.

According to Mark Lund, who is considered a critic?

Everyone who expresses an opinion about a book, a song, a play, or a movie is a critic.

What distinguishes a well-grounded critical opinion from an ordinary opinion according to Mark Lund?

A well-grounded opinion is based upon thought, reflection, analysis, or consistently articulated principles.

How does X. J. Kennedy describe literary criticism?

Literary criticism is not an abstract, intellectual exercise; it is a natural human response to literature.

According to X. J. Kennedy, what are the primary purposes of literary criticism?

To help solve a problem in the reading and to enable the reader to form judgments about literature.

What is a Reaction/Review or Critique Paper?

A response or reaction to an academic text, question, current event, or form of media, including movies or video clips.

What rhetorical role does a Critique Paper serve in academic writing?

It serves as an important rhetorical pattern in academic writing that presents a balanced view of things.

What is the central assertion of the Reader-Response Criticism Approach?

It asserts that a great deal of meaning in a text lies with how the reader responds to it.

What does Reader-Response Criticism focus on regarding the act of reading?

It focuses on the act of reading and how it affects our perception of meaning in a text (such as how we feel at the beginning versus the end) and the process of experiencing a text.

How does Reader-Response Criticism define the nature of a literary text?

A text is an experience, not an object; it is a living thing that lives in the reader's imagination.

According to Reader-Response Criticism, how does time influence an individual reader's interpretation?

An individual reader's interpretation usually changes over time.

What does Reader-Response Criticism state about readers from different generations and time periods?

Readers from different generations and different periods interpret texts differently.

What are the two fundamental questions asked in Reader-Response Criticism?

1. How do YOU feel about what you have read? 2. What do YOU think it means?

How do personal factors influence textual interpretation according to Reader-Response guide questions?

A reader's personal experience, background, or identity directly influences their interpretation of the text.

What is the primary focus of the Formalist Criticism Approach?

It emphasizes the form of a literary work to determine its meaning, focusing on literary elements and how they work to create meaning.

How does the Formalist Criticism Approach view the relationship between a text and its external context?

It examines a text as an independent entity, separate from its time period, social setting, and author's background.

What analytical methods are central to Formalist Criticism?

Close readings of texts and analysis of the effects of literary elements and techniques on the text.

What poem by Abdullah Shoaib is highlighted as an example of Formalist structure, and what type of poem is it?

"Pretty Ugly," which is a palindromic poem.

In Formalist Criticism, what role do literary devices like imagery, symbolism, and metaphor play?

They play a direct role in conveying and shaping the text's overall meaning.

How does a literary text establish unity according to Formalist analysis?

Through patterns or repetition of words, motifs, or images.

What elements create tension to enhance depth and complexity in Formalism?

Conflict, paradox, or ambiguity.

What is the core premise of the Psychological Criticism Approach?

It views a text as a revelation of its author's mind and personality, and focuses on the hidden motivations of literary characters.

Whose work forms the theoretical foundation of the Psychological Criticism Approach?

Sigmund Freud.

How does Psychological Criticism view literary characters in relation to the author?

It assumes that characters are reflections and projections of the author's psyche.

What are the three components of Freud's structure of the human psyche?

Id, Ego, and Superego.

In Freud's structure of the human psyche, what does the Id represent?

Instincts.

In Freud's structure of the human psyche, what does the Ego represent?

Reality.

In Freud's structure of the human psyche, what does the Superego represent?

Morality.

What psychological themes are investigated in Psychological Criticism guide questions?

Themes of repression, the unconscious mind, and the influence of past experiences on present actions.

What is the primary argument of the Sociological Criticism Approach?

It argues that social contexts (the social environment) must be considered when analyzing a text.

What is the core belief of the Sociological Criticism Approach?

Literature is a reflection of its society.

What specific societal issues within literary texts are emphasized by Sociological Criticism?

Economic, political, and cultural issues, as well as how societal values are reflected in a text.

What power structures and systems of oppression are critiqued in Sociological Criticism?

Patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and social class dynamics.

What conditions are primarily emphasized in the Marxist Criticism Approach?

Economic and social conditions.

On whose political theory is Marxist Criticism based?

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

What elements does Marxist Criticism seek to understand the role of within literary texts?

The role of power, politics, and money.

How does Marxist Criticism describe the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups?

It examines the way dominant groups (typically, the majority) exploit subordinate groups (typically, the minority).

According to Marxist Criticism, how do people become alienated from one another?

Through power, money, and politics.

What classes and ideologies are analyzed under Marxist Criticism guide questions?

The ruling class versus the working class, class struggle, economic inequality, and capitalist ideology.

What is the primary concern of the Feminist Criticism Approach?

It is concerned with the role, position, and influence of women in a literary text.

What historical assertion does Feminist Criticism make about literature?

It asserts that most "literature" throughout time has been written by men, for men.

What aspect of depiction does Feminist Criticism examine across both male and female writers?

The way that the female consciousness is depicted.

What patriarchal elements do Feminist Criticism guide questions investigate?

How a text reflects, reinforces, or challenges patriarchal values and structures, as well as the roles of female characters in relation to male characters.

What does the Biographical Criticism Approach argue must be taken into account when studying a text?

An author's life and background.

What is the first stated benefit of using Biographical Criticism?

Facts about an author's experience can help readers decide how to interpret a text.

What are the second and third benefits of using Biographical Criticism?

A reader can better appreciate a text by knowing a writer's struggles in creating it, and understand a writer's preoccupation by studying how they apply and modify their own life experiences.

Why did Zack Tabudlo write the song "Pano," as discussed in the Biographical Criticism example?

To express his personal feelings of heartbreak, self-pity, and unrequited love, and to create a song that listeners could cry to positively.

How does the Historical Criticism Approach interpret literature, and what meaning does it prioritize?

It interprets literature through understanding the times and culture in which it was written, prioritizing the meaning the literary work had for its own time over what it might mean today.

What is the primary focus of the Sociocultural Criticism Approach?

It centers on the culture and tradition of a group of people which affects the decisions of the characters.

What are the grading criteria and point distribution for Activity #4 on critiquing songs?

Content: $10$ points, Comprehensibility: $10$ points, and Appropriate use of literary approach: $10$ points (Total: $30$ points).