#2.1 : Critical Approaches to Literature Flashcards
Why do we use critical approaches to literature?
To guide us in interpreting and understanding the meaning and messages of literary works.
Other term for critical approaches to literature
lenses
This approach focuses on the form of a literary text.
Formalist Criticism
Formalist Criticism explains the elements of a _____ _____ or _______.
short story or poetry
This approach considers the author’s background in interpreting the text.
Biographical Criticism
Biographical criticism believes that the writing of the text is heavily influenced by the author’s ____ _________.
life experiences
Biographical criticism believes that the writing of the text is heavily influenced by the author’s ____ _________.
life experiences
This approach centers on elements that are universally present across different cultures.
Mythological Criticism
These are the elements that re-occur in different literary works.
archetypes
3 forms of archetypes
Situational, Character, and Symbolic
This approach studies the time when the text was written.
Historical Criticism
Historical criticism claims that a literary text can show us the _____ and _____ ______ of the time when it was created.
events and belief systems
Based on the theory of Sigmund Freud, this approach claims that literary texts can reveal how and what the author thinks.
Psychoanalytic Criticism
In Psychoanalytic Criticism, the readers will see what the author’s unconscious _____ are.
desires
This approach takes a look at the values and beliefs that society upholds.
Sociological Criticism
2 types of Sociological Criticism
Marxist and Feminist Criticism
Based on the theory of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, this approach observes how power, money, and politics influence the characters and/or plot of the story.
Marxist Criticism
In using Marxist Criticism, the critic must examine who are the:
oppressed (minority group) and oppressor (dominant group)
This approach focuses on women- how they are perceived and treated- in literary texts.
Feminist Criticism
