Literary Criticism Project
There are many types of literary criticism, and your text does a good job of outlining each of those types and providing practical examples of how to apply them. Please read the section beginning on page 1129 in your text. The text discusses Deconstruction, Ethical, Feminist, Formalist, Marxist, New Historical, Postcolonial, Psychoanalytic, and Reader Response Criticism. I've provided one other form of criticism below.
There are many types of literary criticism, and your text does a good job of outlining each of those types and providing practical examples of how to apply them. Please read the section beginning on page 1129 in your text. The text discusses Deconstruction, Ethical, Feminist, Formalist, Marxist, New Historical, Postcolonial, Psychoanalytic, and Reader Response Criticism. I've provided one other form of criticism below.
Genetic or biographical criticism: author as context
The task of the genetic critic is to understand the mind of the author in order to better interpret the creations of that mind. An author cannot tell you what a piece means because 1) he or she would have to talk about what he/she meant at some particular point in the past and 2) we probably don't want to limit meaning to conscious intention. However, a mind has caused the poem to exist, and understanding that mind might help us understand the poem.
Keep in mind that this form of criticism, while helpful, can also be reductive. In other words, we might have a tendency to over-simplify a piece--we might not consider alternative meanings because we know what the author "was thinking when he wrote it." By reducing the poem to the author's intent, we might lose something.
Considering the author's life and attitude at the particular time may be helpful, however. For example, it is helpful to know that Charlotte Perkins Gilman suffered from post-partum depression. That might give us an avenue, a starting point, as we approach "The Yellow Wallpaper."
The task of the genetic critic is to understand the mind of the author in order to better interpret the creations of that mind. An author cannot tell you what a piece means because 1) he or she would have to talk about what he/she meant at some particular point in the past and 2) we probably don't want to limit meaning to conscious intention. However, a mind has caused the poem to exist, and understanding that mind might help us understand the poem.
Keep in mind that this form of criticism, while helpful, can also be reductive. In other words, we might have a tendency to over-simplify a piece--we might not consider alternative meanings because we know what the author "was thinking when he wrote it." By reducing the poem to the author's intent, we might lose something.
Considering the author's life and attitude at the particular time may be helpful, however. For example, it is helpful to know that Charlotte Perkins Gilman suffered from post-partum depression. That might give us an avenue, a starting point, as we approach "The Yellow Wallpaper."
Task:
Choose one short story to be the focus of your analysis. It must be something we have read together as a class. Next, create one paper which examines 3 of the critical approaches as they apply to that one piece of literature. Your paper can be a series of paragraphs with sub-headings which tell the type of criticism. It does not have to be a traditional paper with an introduction/body/conclusion.
Choose one short story to be the focus of your analysis. It must be something we have read together as a class. Next, create one paper which examines 3 of the critical approaches as they apply to that one piece of literature. Your paper can be a series of paragraphs with sub-headings which tell the type of criticism. It does not have to be a traditional paper with an introduction/body/conclusion.
Support your ideas with quotes and examples from the short
story. Some criticisms work better with
some pieces of literature; be conscious of that and utilize the criticisms that
best help you analyze the story.
Length:
About 3 pages.
About 3 pages.
Due dates:
Draft: 3/5 Final: 3/7
Draft: 3/5 Final: 3/7
Evaluation:
1. Content. Does the paper thoroughly analyze the story using three different types of criticism? Were these choices of criticism the best tools for understanding the story? Does the writer support his/her ideas with quotes and examples from the story?
2. Style. Does the writer explain his ideas and interpretations clearly and succinctly?
3. Grammar and mechanics. Is the paper free of technical errors?
1. Content. Does the paper thoroughly analyze the story using three different types of criticism? Were these choices of criticism the best tools for understanding the story? Does the writer support his/her ideas with quotes and examples from the story?
2. Style. Does the writer explain his ideas and interpretations clearly and succinctly?
3. Grammar and mechanics. Is the paper free of technical errors?
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