1. Analyzing Literature

2. Structure, Content & Style 3. Approaching Texts All texts share three common elements: Structure Content Style 4. Structure Structure is how a text is built Think of the structure of a text like the frame of a house Structure can include sections, chapters, order of ideas, line breaks (poetry), acts and scenes (drama) A texts outline reveals its structure 5. Content Content is the ideas and information in the text Think of content as what is in the house (e.g. furniture) Content can include things like plot, character, main ideas, theme, dialogue A summary of the text reveals its content 6. Style Style is the unique way the author has presented the ideas in the text Think of style as how the contents of the house are decorated Style can include things like word choice, use of language, syntax, sentence structure, imagery Identifying what makes one author/text different from another reveals style 7. Structure, Content & Style Any text can be analyzed using these concepts short stories, novels, plays, poems, essays, non- fiction texts, letters Structure, content, and style work together and often overlap 8. Critical Approaches toLiterature 9. Critical Approaches to Literature The same text can be looked at through more than one lens These lenses are known as critical approaches Critical approaches to literature are developed by readers who look for different meanings in a text Critical approaches are created in different time periods and generally reflect cultural changes that are happening at that time 10. Common Critical Approaches Formalist Criticism Biographical Criticism Historical Criticism Psychological Criticism Mythological Criticism Cultural Criticism Reader Response Criticism 11. Formalist Criticism Literature is a form of knowledge with intrinsic elements style, structure, imagery, tone, and genre What gives a literary work status as a great work of art ishow all of its elements work together to create the readersexperience Appreciating a text requires close reading a careful, step-by-step analysis and explication of the text Style and theme influence each other and cant be separatedif meaning is to be retained 12. Formalist Criticism "Extracting" elements in isolation (theme, character, plot,setting, etc.) may destroy a readers aesthetic experience ofthe whole Formalist critics dont deny the historical or politicalsituation of a work, they just believe works of art have thepower to transcend them Formalist criticism is evaluative in that it differentiatesgreat works of art from poor works of art Formalist criticism is a "scientific" approach to literaryanalysis, focusing on "facts amenable to "verification"(evidence in the text) 13. Biographical Criticism Real life experience can help shape (either directly or indirectly) an authors work Understanding an authors life can help us better understand the work The focus is always on the literary work under investigation 14. Historical Criticism Investigates the social, cultural, and intellectual context that produced it This investigation includes the authors biography and their culture Seeks to understand the impact of a work in its day and how meanings change over time Explores how time and place of creation affect meaning in the work 15. Psychological Criticism Great literature truthfully reflects life and is arealistic representation of human motivation andbehavior May choose to focus on the creative process of theartist, the artists motivation or behavior, or analyzefictional characters motivations and behaviors 16. Mythological Criticism Mythological criticism studies recurrent universal patterns underlying most literary works Combines a variety of academic disciplines anthropology, psychology, history, comparative religion Demonstrates how the individual imagination shares a common humanity by identifying common symbols, images, plots, etc. Identifies "archetypes symbols, characters, situations, or images evoking a universal response 17. Common Archetypes: Characters The hero - The courageous figure who runs in and saves the day The outcast - he or she has been cast out of society or has left it on avoluntary basis; the outcast figure can oftentimes also be consideredas a Christ figure The scapegoat - gets blamed for everything, regardless of whetherhe or she is actually at fault The star-crossed lovers - the young couple joined by love butunexpectedly parted by fate The shrew - nagging, bothersome wife always battering her husbandwith verbal abuse 18. Common Archetypes: Situations/Symbols The task - a character, or group of characters, is driven to complete someduty of monstrous proportion The quest - the characters are searching for something, whetherconsciously or unconsciously; their actions, thoughts, and feelingscenter around the goal of completing this quest The loss of innocence - a loss of innocence through sexualexperience, violence, or any other means The initiation - process by which a character is brought into anothersphere of influence, frequently (in literature) into adulthood Water - a symbol of life, cleansing, and rebirth; it is a strong life forceand is often depicted as a living, reasoning force 19. Cultural Criticism Examines literature in its cultural, economic, and politicalcontext Explores the relationship between the artist and the society Focuses on the social content of literary works 20. Reader-Response Criticism Attempts to describe the internal workings of the readers mentalprocesses Recognizes reading as a creative act or process No text is self-contained, independent of a readers interpretivedesign The plurality of readings possible is all explored critics study howdifferent readers see the same text differently, and howreligious, cultural, and social values affect readings Instead of focusing only on the values embedded in the text, thistype of criticism studies the values embedded in the reader 21. The Literary Canon 22. The Literary Canon What is a cannon? What is a canon? An authoritative list, as of the works of an author" and "a basis for judgment; standard; criterion." Belonging to the canon confers social, political, economic, and aesthetic status Belonging to the canon is a guarantee of quality 23. The Literary Canon What is the role of the canon in literature? What is the impact of the canon on literature? What are the drawbacks of the literary canon? 24. Questions? 25. Works CitedEsch, Stacy. Critical Approaches to Literature. 2002. 4 Aug. 2008.PageWise. Understanding Literary Archetypes. 2002. 4 Aug. 2008.University Scholars Programme Project. The Concept of Literary Canon: An Overview. The Victorian Web. 1989. 4 Aug. 2008 .