CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE Flashcards
1
Q
these are different perspectives or approaches we consider when looking at a piece of literature
A
CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE
2
Q
LITERARY THEORY is also called what
A
CRITICAL THEORY
3
Q
body of ideas and methods used in the practical reading of literature
A
LITERARY THEORY
4
Q
tools by which one attempts to understand literature
A
LITERARY THEORY
5
Q
principles derived from internal analysis of literary text that can be applied in multiple interpretative situations
A
LITERARY THEORY
6
Q
helps us to understand what is important in the text such as structure, context, content, and how it manipulates the reader
A
LITERARY CRITICISM
7
Q
try to become a _____ rather than an inflexible supporter of one approach
A
PLURALIST
8
Q
enumerate the 7 CRITICAL/LITERARY APPROACHES
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM STRUCTURALISM ARCHETYPAL CRITICISM DECONSTRUCTION MARXISM FEMINISM POSTCOLONIALISM
9
Q
a literary text exists independent of any particular reader and, in a sense, has a fixed meaning
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
10
Q
an interpretative approach that emphasizes literary form and the study of the literary devices within the text
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
11
Q
ignores the author’s biography and focuses only on the interaction of literary elements within the text
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
12
Q
this criticism arose in opposition to biographical or vaguely impressionistic approaches
A
NEW CRITICISM
13
Q
this criticism sought to establish literary studies as an objective
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
14
Q
this criticism’s desire to reveal organic unity (all the parts contribute to the overall meaning) in complex texts may be historically determined, reflective of early 20th century critics seeking a lost order or in conflict with an increasingly fragmented society
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
15
Q
a key term of FORMALISM that is defined by equating the meaning of a poem with the author’s intentions
A
INTENTIONAL FALLACY
16
Q
a key term of FORMALISM that is defined by confusing the meaning of a text with how it makes the reader feel; a reader’s emotional response to a text generally does not produce a reliable interpretation
A
AFFECTIVE FALLACY
17
Q
a key term of FORMALISM that is defined by assuming that an interpretation of a literary work could consist of a detailed summary of paraphrase
A
HERESY OF PARAPHRASE
18
Q
a key term of FORMALISM that is defined by a close and detailed analysis of the text itself to arrive at an interpretation without referring to historical, authorial, or cultural concerns
A
CLOSE READING
19
Q
a key term of FORMALISM that is defined by a literary language, partly by calling attention to itself as language, estranged the reader from the familiar and made fresh the experience of daily life
A
DEFAMILIARIZATION
20
Q
in this criticism, texts possess meaning in and of themselves; therefore, analyses should emphasize intrinsic meaning over extrinsic meaning (verbal sense over significance in E.D. Hirsch’s view)
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
21
Q
in this criticism, the best readers are those who look most closely at the text and are familiar with literary conventions and have an ample command of the language
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
22
Q
in this criticism, meaning within the text is context-bound; this means that readers must be ready to show how the parts of the text relate to form a whole
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
23
Q
in this criticism, the test of excellence in literature: the extent to which the work manifests organic unity
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
24
Q
in this criticism, the best interpretations are those which seek out ambiguities in the text and then resolve these ambiguities as a part of demonstrating the organic unity of the text
A
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
25
this criticism is done by:
o close reading of texts
o this includes paying attention to semantic
tensions the complicate meaning
o at the end though, these ambiguities must be
resolved
o learn and apply the appropriate literary
conventions that apply in any discourse
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
26
some critics of this approach have argued that a its commitment to revealing organic unity of a work blinds him or her to elements in the text that do not contribute to this unity
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
27
some critics of this approach have argued that in dismissing the importance of history, or the response of readers as irrelevant to an understanding of the work
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
28
___________ skills leading to a deeper appreciation of the multiple uses of language that a text uses
CLOSE READING
29
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o does this work follow a traditional form or chart its own development?
o how are the events of the plot recounted i.e., in sequential fashion?
o how does the work’s organization affect its meaning?
o what is the effect of using the literary device?
o what recurrences of words, images or sounds do you notice?
o how does the narrator’s point of view shape the meaning?
o what visual patterns do you find in this text?
FORMALISM and NEW CRITICISM
30
this criticism rejects mimetic theory of language (in which discussion of language must include reference in real world) for structural view of language
STRUCTURALISM
31
this criticism says that language is a system (LA LANGUE) that is prior to any linguistic utterance (PAROLE)
STRUCTURALISM
32
according to STRUCTURALISM, language is a system (__________) that is prior to any linguistic utterance (__________)
LA LANGUE;
| PAROLE
33
it is a theory developed in FRANCE between 1950 and 1960
STRUCTURALISM
34
this criticism begins with the work of Ferdinand de Saussure on linguistics, along with that of the Prague and Moscow schools
STRUCTURALISM
35
this criticism analyzes any phenomena about the world mostly contrasting elementary structure in a system of binary opposition (a pair of opposite concepts)
STRUCTURALISM
36
this criticism is a description and perception of the structure
STRUCTURALISM
37
this criticism is a science that seeks to understand how systems work and looks for patterns that underlie human behavior, experience and creation, not just structures in a physical sense
STRUCTURALISM
38
this criticism comes from the human mind as it works to make sense of the world
STRUCTURALISM
39
this criticism relates literary texts to a larger structure, which may be genre, intertextual connections, narrative structure, or recurrent patterns (like how the structures of a text are resolved)
STRUCTURALISM
40
this criticism states that there must be a structure in every text to interpret it
STRUCTURALISM
41
in this criticism, an example would be West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet structures
o "Boy + Girl“.
o "Boy's Group - Girl's Group" or "Opposing forces“.
o conflict is resolved by their death
STRUCTURALISM
42
in this criticism, they are not concerned with producing a "correct" interpretation. they are more concerned with how meaning is generated or how a text fits in within a system of possible discursive strategies
STRUCTURALISM
43
in this criticism, as with New Criticism, this is less concerned with historical context
STRUCTURALISM
44
this criticism treats literature almost as if it were an organized, scientific body of knowledge
STRUCTURALISM
45
in this criticism, to know something, you need to understand the underlying system (structure) that makes meaning possible. this is true for language as well as any other signifying system
STRUCTURALISM
46
in this criticism, we would assume literature contains a structure from which individual texts emerge. very often we would be less concerned with the individual text on its own terms and more interested in the ways in which it participates in a larger system
STRUCTURALISM
47
in this criticism that focuses on the system rather than individual text, sometimes we lose sense of the uniqueness of a text (not a problem in New Criticism)
STRUCTURALISM
48
this criticism forces us to think about how we make sense of things; it gives us a vocabulary that helps us describe the operations we make
STRUCTURALISM
49
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what is the text's genre or conventions?
o is there a use of binary opposition?
o what is the plot structure?
STRUCTURALISM
50
etymology of ARCHETYPE
greek: "arche" meaning beginning;
| "typos" meaning stamp or imprint
51
refers to any recurring image, character type, plot formula, or pattern of action
ARCHETYPE
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is a kind of model, different versions of which recur throughout the history of human production: myth, literature, dreams, religions, and rituals of social behavior
ARCHETYPE
53
in order to be an ________, an image, character type, or other narrative element must serve as a structural model that generates numerous different versions of itself
ARCHETYPE
54
in this theory, the structural principle underlying the Western literary traditions is seeked
NORTHROP FRYE’S THEORY OF MYTHS
55
in ARCHETYPAL criticism, this refers to the four narrative patterns that structure myth
MYTHOI
56
these reveal the structural principles underlying literary genres: specifically, comedy, romance, tragedy, and irony/satire
MYTHOI
57
in this criticism, human beings project their narrative imaginations in two fundamental ways: an ideal word and a real world
ARCHETYPAL
58
in this criticism, the structural principles underlying literary genres: specifically, comedy, romance, tragedy, and irony/satire are revealed
ARCHETYPAL
59
in ARCHETYPAL criticism, human beings project their narrative imaginations in two fundamental ways which are what
> in representation of an ideal world (the world of innocence, plenitude, and fulfillment)
> in representations of the real world (the world of experience, uncertainty, and failure, of human folly, excess, and incongruity
60
enumerate the four MYTHOI by NORTHROP FRYE
MYTHOS OF SUMMER
MYTHOS OF WINTER
MYTHOS OF AUTUMN
MYTHOS OF SPRING
61
this mythos is associated with the genre of romance
MYTHOS OF SUMMER
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this mythos is a representation of the ideal world of adventures, of successful quests in which brave, virtuous heroes and beautiful maidens overcome villainous threats to the achievement of their goals
MYTHOS OF SUMMER
63
this mythos is associated with the double genre of irony/satire
MYTHOS OF WINTER
64
in this mythos, irony is the real world seen through a tragic lens; protagonists are defeated by the puzzling complexities of life
MYTHOS OF WINTER
65
in this mythos, satire is the real world seen through a comic lens; human frailty is mocked
MYTHOS OF WINTER
66
in MYTHOS OF WINTER, ____ is the real world seen through a tragic lens; protagonists are defeated by the puzzling complexities of life; and ____ is the real world seen through a comic lens; human frailty is mocked
IRONY; SATIRE
67
this mythos is associated with tragedy and involves a movement from the ideal world to real world, from innocence to experience
MYTHOS OF AUTUMN
68
in this mythos, a hero with the potential to be superior falls from his romantic height into the real world, the world of loss and defeat, from which he can never rise
MYTHOS OF AUTUMN
69
this mythos is associated with the genre of comedy and involves a movement from the real world to the ideal
MYTHOS OF SPRING
70
in this mythos, a protagonist caught in a web of threatening, real-world difficulties manages to overcome the circumstances that have thwarted him and attain happiness
MYTHOS OF SPRING
71
these four genres taken together form a kind of master plot, a key to understanding narrative as a whole
MYTHOI
72
in this criticism, a traditional quest has four structural components, taken together spell-out the structure of total quest-myth
ARCHETYPAL
73
a traditional quest has four structural components, taken together spell-out the structure of total quest-myth:
CONFLICT
CATASTROPHE
DISORDER AND CONFUSION
TRIUMPH
74
this structural component of myth is the basis of romance
CONFLICT
75
this structural component of myth is the basis of tragedy
CATASTROPHE
76
this structural component of myth is the basis of irony and satire
DISORDER AND CONFUSION
77
this structural component of myth is the basis of comedy
TRIUMPH
78
in this criticism, we also analyze the structure of inherited feelings, thoughts, and memories that all human beings possess
ARCHETYPAL
79
the structure of inherited feelings, thoughts, and memories that all human beings possess
CARL JUNG’S COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS
80
according to jung, the presence of _______ connect and unify the major symbol systems of the world’s myths, religions, and literatures
ARCHETYPES
81
in this criticism, literature does not imitate the world but rather the “total dream of human kind”
ARCHETYPAL
82
enumerate the 12 JUNGIAN ARCHETYPES
```
THE LOVER
THE HERO
THE MAGICIAN
THE OUTLAW
THE EXPLORER
THE SAGE
THE INNOCENT
THE CREATOR
THE RULER
THE CAREGIVER
THE EVERYMAN
THE JESTER
```
83
this jungian archetype is the romantic lead who’s guided by the heart
THE LOVER
84
this jungian archetype is the protagonist that rises to a challenge
THE HERO
85
this jungian archetype is a powerful character who understands and harnesses the powers of the universe
THE MAGICIAN
86
this jungian archetype is a rebellious character who does not conform to society’s demands
THE OUTLAW
87
this jungian archetype is a character driven to go beyond the status quo and explore the unknown
THE EXPLORER
88
this jungian archetype is a character who embodies wisdom and knowledge; a mentor
THE SAGE
89
this jungian archetype is a character pure of morals and intentions
THE INNOCENT
90
this jungian archetype is a visionary character who creates something significant throughout the narrative
THE CREATOR
91
this jungian archetype is a character who possesses power over others (emotionally or legally)
THE RULER
92
this jungian archetype is a character who often makes sacrifices for the benefit of others
THE CAREGIVER
93
this jungian archetype is an average character, relatable in daily life
THE EVERYMAN
94
this jungian archetype is a character providing humor or comic relief within the narrative, but who may also imbue wisdom
THE JESTER
95
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o using Frye’s framework, how should the text be classified in terms of its genre?
o how do the characters in text mirror the archetypal figures?
o what purpose do the narrative patterns and archetypal characters serve in the text?
ARCHETYPAL
96
this criticism was invented by JACQUES DERRIDA (1930-2004)
DECONSTRUCTION
97
according to this idea by DERRIDA, no ultimate reality or end to all references from one sign to another; no unifying element to all things
TRANSCENDENTAL SIGNIFIED
98
in this criticism, humankind is LOGOCENTRIC—words and language as fundamental expression of an external reality
DECONSTRUCTION
99
in DECONSTRUCTION criticism, humankind is __________—words and language as fundamental expression of an external reality
LOGOCENTRIC
100
some critics used the terms ___________ and deconstruction interchangeably
post-structuralism
101
this criticism or approach employs more of a reading strategy rather than a philosophy
DECONSTRUCTION
102
while structuralism is more focused on language, deconstruction is more focused on what?
meaning
103
this criticism reveals the ‘grammar’ behind form and meaning
DECONSTRUCTION
104
this criticism treated works of art not as the harmonious fusion of literal and figurative meanings but as instances of the intractable conflicts between meanings of different types
DECONSTRUCTION
105
this criticism generally examined the individual work not as a self-contained artifact but as a product of relations with other texts or discourses, literary and non-literary
DECONSTRUCTION
106
in describing this criticism, its inventor famously observed that "there is nothing outside the text." that is to say, all of the references used to interpret a text are themselves texts, even the "text" of reality as a reader knows it
DECONSTRUCTION
107
in this criticism, there is no truly objective, non-textual reference from which interpretation can begin
DECONSTRUCTION
108
this criticism can be described as an effort to understand a text through its relationships to various contexts
DECONSTRUCTION
109
this is the most important part of deconstruction
BINARY OPPOSITION
110
this is a dichotomy that is actually an evaluative hierarchy; it underlies human acts and practices
BINARY OPPOSITION
111
in this criticism, there is a dominant and oppressed or non-dominant of the two parts of binary oppositions
DECONSTRUCTION
112
in STRUCTURALISM, the texts are static and unchanging
| in DECONSTRUCTION, the texts are what
fluid, dynamic entities that are given new life with repeated reading through interactions with other texts
113
in STRUCTURALISM, the analysis through codes and rules establishes the possibility of objective knowledge
in DECONSTRUCTION, the meaning is what
the meaning is essentially undecidable, what a text means and how it means simply cannot be determined
114
in STRUCTURALISM, we are looking at the structure of a text including its convention
in DECONSTRUCTION, we are looking for what
for the place where text contradicts
115
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what is the primary binary opposition in the text?
o what associated binary oppositions do you find?
o which terms in the oppositions are privileged?
o what elements in the work support the privileged terms?
o what statement of values or belief emerges from the privileged terms?
DECONSTRUCTION
116
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what elements in the text contradict the hierarchies as presented?
o where is the statement of values or belief contradicted by characters, events, or statements in the text?
o are the privileged terms inconsistent? do they present conflicting meanings?
o what associations do you have with the terms that complicate their opposition? that is, what associations keep you from accepting that the terms are all good or all bad?
DECONSTRUCTION
117
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what new possibilities of understanding emerge when you reverse the binary oppositions?
o how does the reversal of oppositions tear down the intended statement of meaning?
o what contradictions of language, image, or event do you notice?
o are there any significant omissions of information?
DECONSTRUCTION
118
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o can you identify any irreconcilable views offered as coherent systems?
o what is left unnoticed or unexplained?
o how would a focus on different binary oppositions lead to a different interpretation?
o where are the figures of speech so ambiguous that they suggest several (and perhaps contradictory) meanings?
o what new vision of the situation presented by the text emerges for you?
DECONSTRUCTION
119
the inventor of this criticism, KARL MARX, believed that the means of production (i.e., the basis of power in society) should be placed in the hands of those who actually operated them
MARXISM
120
who believed that the means of production (i.e., the basis of power in society) should be placed in the hands of those who actually operated them
KARL MARX
121
who wrote that economic and political revolutions around the world would eventually place power in the hands of the masses, the laborers
KARL MARX
122
in this criticism, the socioeconomic system not only determines who has the most power, but more so, how we are educated, and it influences our religious beliefs, which together control to a great degree how we perceive ourselves and the world
MARXISM
123
the goal of this criticism is to achieve a worldwide classless society by exposing the oppressive ideologies (belief systems) that keep the nations of this planet bound within socioeconomic systems in which a relatively small number of people are extremely wealthy while most people are struggling, or even failing to get by
MARXISM
124
this criticism asserts that literature is a reflection of culture, and that culture can be influenced by literature; it believes that literature can instigate revolution
MARXISM
125
in this criticism, readers look at what oppressive socioeconomic ideologies influence a character’s behavior and looks at how a literary work reinforces or opposes these ideologies
MARXISM
126
in MARXIST criticism, this is the belief that our value as human beings is directly related to class to which we belong: the higher our social class, the higher our natural, or inborn superiority
CLASSISM
127
in MARXIST criticism, this is a system in which everything—every object, every activity, every person—can be defined in terms of its worth in money, its “going rate” on a specific market
CAPITALISM
128
in MARXIST criticism, capitalism believes that ___________ among individuals is the best way to promote a strong society because this ensures that the most capable, most intelligent people will rise to the top
COMPETITION
129
in MARXIST criticism, this is relating things and people in terms of how much money it is worth and what social status it gives to the owner of that object
COMMODIFICATION
130
in MARXIST criticism, this is an ideology in which an individual strikes out alone in pursuit of a goal not easily achieved, putting self-interest above the needs of the community
RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM
131
this criticism or theory observes that religion too often plays a role in oppressing the poor
MARXISM
132
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o does the work reinforce (intentionally or not) capitalist or classist values?
o how might the work be seen as a critique of capitalism or classism? that is, in what ways does the text reveal, and invite us to condemn oppressive socioeconomic forces (including repressive ideologies)?
o does the work in some ways support a Marxist agenda but in other ways (perhaps unintentionally) support a capitalist or classist agenda? in other words, is the work ideologically conflicted?
MARXISM
133
```
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o how does the literary work reflect (intentionally or not) the socioeconomic conditions of the time in which it was written and/or the time in which it is set, and what do those conditions reveal about the history of class struggle?
o how might the work can be seen as a critique of organized religion? that is, how does religion function in the text to keep a character/s from realizing and resisting socioeconomic oppression?
```
MARXISM
134
this criticism asks us to examine, the ways in which our personal identity is formed by our culture’s definition of what it means to be a man and a woman
FEMINISM
135
in this criticism, our experience of both the family and the socioeconomic system in which we live depends to a large extent on our sex
FEMINISM
136
according to feminist anthropologists such as _________, the subordination of women to men originated in early societies in which women were used as tokens of exchange between clans
GAYLE RUBIN
137
the subordination of women to men originated in early societies in which women were used as what
tokens of exchange between clans
138
for this criticism, whatever its origin – nature or society – this situation of gender inequality is sustained by culture
FEMINISM
139
this criticism begins with the question: do the characters conform to patriarchal gender roles? or more specifically with the question: are the female characters depicted according to patriarchal stereotypes of women?
FEMINISM
140
this criticism is concerned with the role, position, and influence of women in a literary text
FEMINISM
141
this criticism asserts that most “literature” throughout time has been written by men, for men
FEMINISM
142
this criticism examines the way that the female consciousness is depicted by both male and female writers
FEMINISM
143
in FEMINIST criticism, this is any society in which men hold all or most of the power. men are given power by promoting traditional gender roles and anyone who deviates from the traditional gender roles are considered unnatural, unhealthy, or even immoral
PATRIARCHY
144
in FEMINIST criticism, these define men as naturally rational, strong, protective, and decisive while women are defined as emotional (irrational for patriarchy), weak, nurturing, and submissive
TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES
145
in FEMINIST criticism, these are produced by patriarchy and have been used to justify the many inequities which still occur in our world today
TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES
146
in FEMINIST criticism, this is when women are not viewed as independent human beings with their own goals, needs, and desires; they are valued only in terms of their usefulness to patriarchal men
THE OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN
147
in FEMINIST criticism, this is the belief that women are innately, or by nature, inferior to men: less intelligent, less rational, less courageous, and so forth
SEXISM
148
in FEMINIST criticism, this is a Victorian belief that idealized what it called “true woman”
THE “CULT OF ‘TRUE WOMANHOOD’”
149
in FEMINIST criticism, this is when the “true woman” fulfills her patriarchal gender role in every way, and was defined as fragile, submissive, and sexually pure
THE “CULT OF ‘TRUE WOMANHOOD’”
150
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o how are women’s lives portrayed in the work?
o is the form and content of the work influenced by the writer’s gender?
o how do male and female characters relate to one another? are these relationships sources of conflict? are these conflicts resolved?
o does the work challenge or affirm traditional views of women?
o how do the images of women in the story reflect patriarchal social forces that have impeded women’s efforts to achieve full equality with men?
FEMINISM
151
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what marital expectations are imposed on the characters? what effect do these expectations have?
o what behavioral expectations are imposed on the characters? what effect do these expectations have?
o if a female character were male, how would the story be different and vice versa?
o how does the marital status of a character affect her decisions or happiness?
FEMINISM
152
this criticism emerged in an attempt to understand people from different cultures in terms of an important experience they had in common: colonial domination by a superior European military force
POSTCOLONIALISM
153
this word refers to the experience of conquered peoples—not only those colonized by the British Empire, but also native populations subjugated by white settlers and governed today by the majority culture that surrounds them
POSTCOLONIAL
154
this refers to literary works written both by colonized or formerly colonized populations and by members of the colonizing (white) culture in colonized or formerly colonized nations
POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE
155
as a domain within literary studies, postcolonialism is both what?
> a subject matter
"analyzes literature produced by cultures or populations that developed in response to colonial domination, from the first point of contact to the present"
> and a theoretical framework
"seeks to understand the operations (politically, socially, culturally, and psychologically) of colonialist and anticolonialist ideologies"
156
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, this is based on the colonizer’s belief in their own superiority over the colonized, i.e. the colonizers were civilized, the colonized savages; colonizers believed their entire culture was more highly advanced, thus the religions, customs, codes of behavior of the colonized were ignored or swept aside
COLONIALIST IDEOLOGIES
157
a colonialist ideology by the practice of judging those who are different as inferior, as somehow less human
OTHERING
158
colonialist ideologies create social hierarchies and ___________ are those who occupy the bottom of the social ladder whether their inferior status is based on race, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or any other cultural factors
SUBALTERNS
159
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, they are subalterns who internalize or “buy into” the colonialist belief that those different from a society’s dominant culture are inferior
THE COLONIAL SUBJECTS
160
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, they have a COLONIZED CONSCIOUSNESS – whether the dominant culture in question is that of foreign power or that of their own country
THE COLONIAL SUBJECTS
161
a colonial subject mentality that is the imitation by a subaltern of the dress, speech, behavior, or lifestyle of members of the dominant culture
MIMICRY
162
a colonial subject mentality by the feeling of having no stable cultural identity—no real home in any culture—that occurs to people who do not belong to the dominant culture and have rejected their own culture as inferior
UNHOMELINESS
163
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, this is the effort to rid one’s land and/or one’s culture of colonial domination
ANTICOLONIALIST RESISTANCE
164
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, this can take the form of organized, armed rebellion against a colonialist regime, or can take the form of organized, non-violent resistance to colonialist oppressions
ANTICOLONIALIST RESISTANCE
165
in POSTCOLONIALIST criticism, this happens when colonized peoples have been completely subjugated to a foreign power over the course of many generations and no longer have access to their own language or their own cultural past, many oppressed individuals manage to keep their minds free of the colonialist ideology that tells them they are inferior; such anticolonialist resistance exists on the psychological level alone and perhaps without this the other forms of resistance would never occur
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE
166
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o how does the literary text, explicitly or allegorically, represent various aspects of colonial oppression?
o what does the text reveal about the problematics of post-colonial identity, including the relationship between personal and cultural identity within cultural borderlands?
o what person(s) or groups does the work identify as "other" or stranger? how are such persons/groups described and treated?
o what does the text reveal about the politics and/or psychology of anticolonialist resistance?
POSTCOLONIALISM
167
the guide questions of this criticism are:
o what does the text reveal about the operations of cultural difference (race, religion, class, cultural beliefs, and customs) in shaping our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the world in which we live?
o how does the text respond to or comment upon the characters, themes, or assumptions of a canonized (colonialist) work?
o are there meaningful similarities among the literatures of different postcolonial populations?
o how does a literary text in the western canon reinforce or undermine colonialist ideology through its representation of colonization and/or its inappropriate silence about colonized peoples?
POSTCOLONIALISM
