Approaches in Literary Criticism and Disciplinary Language

Linguistic Appropriateness and Disciplinary Language

When expressing views or responding in an academic or professional setting, using appropriate language for the specific discipline is essential. The way thoughts are expressed impacts how the message is received and perceived by authority figures or peers. This is demonstrated in interactions where a student’s response to a teacher might be informal or non-committal, such as using phrases like "No probs!" or "I will see" when asked to submit corrections. These responses raise questions regarding appropriateness and the necessity of considering the recipient and the context when communicating.

Formalist Criticism

Formalist criticism is an approach that regards literature as a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms. A fundamental principle of this school of thought is that all the elements necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself. External factors like the author's biography or historical context are secondary to the internal mechanics of the text.

Of particular interest to the formalist critic are the elements of form. These include style, structure, tone, imagery, and other literary devices found within the text. The primary goal of this approach is to determine how such elements work together with the text's content to shape its effects upon readers. The analysis focuses on the interplay between the technical components and the narrative or thematic literal meaning.

Gender Criticism

Gender criticism is an approach that examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of literary works. It explores the ways in which the gender of the author or the perceived gender of the audience shapes the narrative, the themes, and the overall impact of the literature. This discipline often investigates the social constructs of masculinity and femininity as they are represented or challenged within a text.

Historical Criticism

Historical criticism seeks to understand a literary work by investigating the social, cultural, and intellectual context that produced it. This context necessarily includes the artist's biography and milieu, providing a backdrop against which the literature was written. By looking at the era in which a work was created, critics can better understand the motivations and influences behind the writing.

A key goal for historical critics is to understand the effect of a literary work upon its original readers. This involves researching the contemporary reception of the work and how the societal norms and events of the time might have shaped the audience's interpretation and the author's intent.

Reader-Response Criticism

Reader-Response criticism takes as a fundamental tenet that literature exists not as an artifact upon a printed page but as a transaction between the physical text and the mind of a reader. This perspective shifts the focus from the text and the author to the individual interpreting the work. In this view, the meaning of a literary piece is created through the active participation of the reader, making the reading process a subjective and dynamic experience.

Media Criticism

Media criticism is the act of closely examining and judging media. When examining media and various media stories, researchers and critics often find instances of media bias. This approach involves analyzing the ways information is presented in television, film, digital platforms, and journalism to determine the underlying influences and the fairness of the representation.

Marxist Criticism

Marxist criticism focuses on the economic and political elements of art. It often emphasizes the ideological content of literature, looking at how works reflect, reinforce, or challenge the power structures of their time. Critics using this approach analyze how class struggle, socioeconomic status, and politics are portrayed within the narrative and what these portrayals suggest about the distribution of power and wealth.

Structuralism

Structuralism is focused on how human behavior is determined by social, cultural, and psychological structures. The essence of this approach is the belief that things cannot be understood in isolation; instead, they have to be seen in the context of larger structures. In literary terms, this means looking at the underlying systems—such as grammar, genre, or cultural myths—that allow a text to have meaning within a broader framework of human activity.

Questions & Discussion

Teacher: Jun, I have checked your paper and there are some corrections.

Student: Ok. No probs!

Teacher: Submit this next week.

Student: I will see.

Regarding the interaction between the teacher and the student, consider whether the response was appropriate. What kind of language should the student use in this academic context? One must also consider what things are necessary to evaluate when expressing thoughts to ensure they align with the expectations of the discipline and the relationship between the speakers.