Literary Reading through a Sociocultural Context (Video Notes)

Flashcards focusing on key concepts, terms, and figures from the video notes about sociocultural context in literary analysis, including literary theory definitions, sociocultural terms, guiding questions, major theories, and example texts.

What is literary theory?

A collection of different schools of thought and bodies of ideas used as tools to understand literary context.

What does the term 'sociocultural' mean in this context?

Relating to a combination of social and cultural factors.

What is meant by 'social order' in literary context?

The system of social structures, institutions, norms, and customs that conserve, maintain, or enforce patterns of relations and behavior.

What is 'ideology' in literary context?

A systematic body of concepts or beliefs about life or culture.

What is a chalice?

A cup used to hold wine.

What is the Essential Question of this lesson?

Why would a particular event or an outside situation affect a literary piece?

Why read literature through the sociocultural context (Gioia & Kennedy, 2007)?

To understand the social, economic, political, and cultural forces affecting the work and to examine the role of the audience in shaping literature.

Name a guiding sociocultural question from the unit.

Example: Who has the power? Who does not? What is the reason for this setup?

Marxism (Literary Theory)

Literature shows class struggle and materialism; focuses on the social classes portrayed in the work.

Feminism (Literary Theory)

The feminist perspective examines the role of women in literature.

Queer Theory

The queer perspective concerns the queer or third gender (LGBT) in literature.

Historicism

A perspective dealing with the history that influenced the writing of literature.

Postcolonialism

A literary perspective that looks into changes in the attitudes of postcolonies after the colonial period.

New Historicism

Focuses not only on the history when the text was written, but also on how history happened.

What should readers do when reading or critiquing through sociocultural context?

Set aside personal political ideologies and strive to be unbiased in reading.

Who wrote the poem 'Sympathy' referenced in the notes?

Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Which short story is analyzed in the notes and who is its author?

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.

Who wrote 'The Rights of Women' used in the assignment?

Anna Laetitia Barbauld.