Literary Criticism

Question 1

Biographical Criticism

Answer 1

uses knowledge of author’s life experiences to gain better understanding of the work

Question 2

Cultural Criticism

Answer 2

focuses on social, historical, and economical contexts of a work

Question 3

Feminist Criticism

Answer 3

understanding from a woman’s point of view; seeks to correct or supplement predominantly male-dominated critical perspective with formal consciousness

Question 4

Formal Criticism

Answer 4

focuses on formal elements of work (language, structure, tone, plot, characterization, narrative technique, etc)

Question 5

Historical Criticism

Answer 5

uses history to understand works along with social and intellectual currents in which the author wrote