Lith

Critical Perspective in Literature
1. The Writer
• the life such as the name, age, or even what kind of person the author is • culture of the
writer such as the place and time the literary work was written, the events and ideas happening that
time, and even the world view of the writer
2. The Work
• the writers consider the structure, techniques, characters of speaker, ideas, lessons and
philosophy
• in interpreting the literary work. the reader must analyze the parts of the work, how they
are related, and the important words, images and figures of speech
2. The Work
• Readers should understand the relationship of the characters, their motivation and the
conflict each character has.
• the reader should also identify the ideas implied in the text, the values, and the lesson of the
text
3. The Reader
• reader must know how the literary text affects his/her feelings, the part of the text that
stands out and the impact of the text when he/she reads it
• the culture of the reader such as the events, ideas and place he/she is situated
4. Connections
• Literary work has connections in previous interpretation, content, historical perspective, and
artistic or literary perspective.
• In interpreting the literary text, one must identify if it refers to historical events and if it is
something about the past.
• Recognize the relation of the literary text to other works, storylines, characters, or myths.
Three Basic Approaches in Interpreting a Literary Text [ Text-Oriented Approach ] Author-

Oriented Approach A Reader-Oriented Approach
a reader may deal on the work itself
Text-Oriented Approach
without relating to the outside world of the text
the reader may study the author's life, time and LU I+ U C to better r ■ Author-Oriented
Approach ■ ,
understand the literary work
1 L Reader-Oriented Approach A
the reader has unique set of experiences which will affect how a reader interprets the text
Mimetic Theory 1
>>based on the classical Aristotelian idea that literature imitates or reflects the real world or the
world of ideal concepts or things from which the subject of literature is derived
*The work and the world that imitates is how others call this theory
Authorial Theory 1
>> holds that the author is the sole source of meaning
> One studies literature with one eye set on literary text and another eye on the author's
biography.
>>The work in relation to its author insists on very private expression of the writer's feelings,
imagination, inspiration, and intention.
Reader Response Theory
>> also called as effective or pragmatic theory
>> Some call this as the work and its readers.
It permits varied and numerous interpretations of the literary texts from as many readers.
Literary Tradition Theory
>>relates the work to its literacy history by identifying the tradition to which it belongs
Textual Analysis Theory
>> also known as the work as an entity of itself
Literary Criticism
1. New criticism or Formalist Criticism
» Seeks to make literary criticism a scientific study.
»There is only one CORRECT way of reading.
» To find the meaning:
- dissect
- examine the literary elements
- determine the contribution to, the\ unity of the piece.
» Calls for a careful and thorough reading of a text.
>> Ignores the relationship of one story to anothe interconnection of literature, influence
of the society to literature, importa4of the author's individualism.
2. Archetypal Criticism
» Influenced by Carl Gustav Jung
» Depends on symbols and patterns operating on a universal scale.
»Uses Northrop Frye's assertion that consists of variation on a great mythic theme that
contains the following elements.
1. The creation and life are a paradise: garden.
2. A displacement from a paradise' alienation.
3. A time trial and tribulation, usua wandering: a journey.
4. A self-discovery as a ret struggle: an epiphany.
3. Historicism
» Examines culture and society from which the literature is produced and how they influence
affect literature.
Questions to ponder:
1 Who is the author, where did he come from, what were his objectives in writing?
2. How did the political events influences what the writer wrote?
3. How did the predominant social customs of the time influence the writer's outlook?
4.What is the predominant philosophy that influenced the work?
5. Where there any special circumstances.
» Overlooks the literary elements and structure as well as the author's individual contribution.
»Enriches one's understanding of literature because a knowledge of the ►historical times in

which a piece is written.
4. Marxist Criticism
literature is a product of real, social and economic existence
Views literature to be ideologically determined, usually of dominant SOCIAL CLASS.
Use's Moa Tse Tung's ideas t literature must answer.
» Provides functional cultural and political agenda of literature.

» Opens up the possibility of prioritizing content over fob ideological criterion artistic.
5. Feminist Criticism
how w gender affects a literary work, writer, or reader?
How are women portrayed in the work?
How is the woman's POV considered?
Is the male superiority implied in the text?
In what ways is the work a because it was written by a woman?
» Enriches a reading by showing awareness of the complexity of human interaction.
» Ultimately culturally criticism
6. Structuralism
a. Language is a well contained system of signs. (Saussure)
b. Culture, like languages, could be viewed as system of signs and could be analyzed in terms
of the structural relations among their elements. (Levi1 Strauss)
c. Views literary text as system of interlocking signs which are arbitrary.
d. Weeks to make explicit the "grammar" (the rules and codes or system of organization).
e. Uses the concept of binary oppositions (sign-signifier, parole-langue, performance-

competence).
f. Believes that a sign (something Wilk stands to somebody for something) can never have a
definite meaning, because t qualified. the meaning must be continuously qualified.
» Denies author's individual contribution
» Allows intertextuality and links literary text to syste of signs that exist even bef the work is
written.
7. Deconstructionism
» Asserts multiple conflicting interpretations to a text.
» Bases interpretation on the philosophical, political or social implications of the use of

language in a text rather than on the author’s intention.
» Takes apart the logic of language which author make their claims.
»Debunks the idea of the arbitraries of the verbal sign and loosen up language from concepts
and referents.
»Views that the meaning of th text bears only accidental relationship to the author's
conscious intentions.

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Critical Perspective in Literature

Three Basic Approaches in Interpreting a Literary Text [ Text-Oriented Approach ] Author-

a reader may deal on the work itself

without relating to the outside world of the text

understand the literary work

>> holds that the author is the sole source of meaning

Reader Response Theory

>> also called as effective or pragmatic theory

>> Some call this as the work and its readers.

Literary Tradition Theory

Textual Analysis Theory

>> also known as the work as an entity of itself

4.What is the predominant philosophy that influenced the work?

5. Where there any special circumstances.

»Enriches one's understanding of literature because a knowledge of the ►historical times in

literature is a product of real, social and economic existence

Views literature to be ideologically determined, usually of dominant SOCIAL CLASS.

Use's Moa Tse Tung's ideas t literature must answer.

» Provides functional cultural and political agenda of literature.

how w gender affects a literary work, writer, or reader?

How are women portrayed in the work?

How is the woman's POV considered?

Is the male superiority implied in the text?

In what ways is the work a because it was written by a woman?

» Enriches a reading by showing awareness of the complexity of human interaction.

» Ultimately culturally criticism

a. Language is a well contained system of signs. (Saussure)

c. Views literary text as system of interlocking signs which are arbitrary.

e. Uses the concept of binary oppositions (sign-signifier, parole-langue, performance-

» Denies author's individual contribution

» Asserts multiple conflicting interpretations to a text.

» Bases interpretation on the philosophical, political or social implications of the use of

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