PERPETUAL HELP COLLEGE OF PANGASINAN

Malasiqui, Pangasinan
2nd Semester S.Y. 2018-2019

Module for Literary Criticism (Midterm)

Name of Student:___________________________________ Date Given:_______________

Course and Year:____________________________________ Date Passed:______________

Topics
Structuralist Criticism
C. Plays/Drama
1. Elements of drama
2. Analyzing drama
D. Essay
1. Types of essay
2. Analyzing essays

III. Feminist Criticism

A. Background and concepts of feminism
B. Reading feminist works
C. Writing critiques using feminist criticism
IV. Marxist Criticism
A. Background and concepts of Marxism
B. Reading and critiquing Marxist literature
C. Marxist understanding of literature

Objectives
At the end of this module the student will be able to:
 To identify the elements of drama and essay
 To analyze the unifying elements of drama/essay from a literary piece
 To skilfully exhibit the principle of Structuralist, Feminism and Marxist criticism to a literary piece critic paper

Requirements
 Completion of Module 1
 Completed Writing Activities

Structuralist Criticism: Play/Theatre Play

Drama is a composition in prose form that presents a story told entirely in dialogue and action. It is written with
the intention of its eventual performance before an audience. Drama has a two-fold nature; that of literature and theatre.

ACTIVITY 1 (Required Reading “New Yorker in Tondo” and “Dr. Fautus”)

Direction: Refer to the element of Theatre play on your photocopy. Answer the following activity.
New Yorker in Tondo Dr. Fautus
1.) Type of Drama 1. 1.

2.) Style of Drama 2. 2.

Setting of the story: 3.) Historical Period 3. 3.

 4.) Time 4. 4.

5.) Place 5. 5.

6.) Type of Plot 6. 6.

Beginning: 7.) Exposition Approach 7. 7.

Middle: 8-11.) Complications 8. 8.

(give at least 4 complications that 9. 9.

surrounds the protagonist in the story)
10. 10.

11. 11.

12.) Obligatory Scene 12. 12.

13.) Discovery 13. 13.

14.) Ending: 14. 14.

15.) Theme: 15. 15.

Structuralist Criticism: Essay

Essay comes from the French word “essai” which means trial or test. It is a prose composition of moderate length
devoted to a single topic from a limited point of view. It explains a provisional exploration or appraisal of a subject and
likewise gives details, point of view, or anything that can be said on a particular subject. Its purpose is to explain or
elucidate a thought, a theory, an inkling, or a standpoint.

ACTIVITY 2: (Required Reading “Hidden Injuries of the Poor” and “Francis Bacon of Adversity”)
The Hidden Injuries of the Poor Francis Bacon’s Essay of Adversity
1.) Pattern of Thought 1. 1.
2. Type of Essay 2. 2.

Parts of the essay: 3.) Introduction 3. 3.

4.) Main Body 4. 4.

5.) Conclusion 5. 5.

Vital Elements of the Essay: Idea 6. 6.

Motive 7. 7.

Structure 8. 8.

Evidence 9. 9s.

Explanations 10. 10.

Coherence 11. 11.

Implications 12. 12.

Presence 13. 13.

Feminist Criticism
(Required Reading Feminist Theory Introduction PDF)
The term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing equal
rights and legal protection for women. Feminism involves political and sociological theories and philosophies concerned
with issues of gender difference, as well as a movement that advocates gender equality for women and campaigns for
women's rights and interests.

ACTIVITY 1
Answer the following questions: (Note: Answers should be in comprehensible handwriting)
1. What is your reaction about feminist theory in literature after reading the article?
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2. Write a reflection paper about the Feminist Theory Introduction article. (Note: The reflection paper shall be written
in a yellow pad sheet. It shall be attached in the module)
3. Search for the “Three waves of Feminist theory” and give the highlights of each waves.
First wave
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Second wave
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Third wave
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ACTIVITY 1.1
A. Read the fiction Sweetheart by Molly Martin and answer the following question:
1. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
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2. What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)?
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3. How are male and female roles defined?
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4. What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
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5. How do characters embody these traits?
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6. Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them?
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7. What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of
patriarchy?
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8. What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a mode of resisting patriarchy?
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9. What does the work say about women's creativity?
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10. What does the history of the work's reception by the public and by the critics tell us about the operation of
patriarchy?
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11. What role does the work play in terms of women's literary history and literary tradition?
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B. Read the fiction Sprezzatura by Maxine Combs and answer the following question:
1. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
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___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How are male and female roles defined?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How do characters embody these traits?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
 6. Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of
patriarchy?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a mode of resisting patriarchy?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What does the work say about women's creativity?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What does the history of the work's reception by the public and by the critics tell us about the operation of
patriarchy?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What role does the work play in terms of women's literary history and literary tradition?
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C. Write a reflection paper about the two fiction stories you’ve read. (Note: The reflection paper shall be written in a
yellow pad sheet. It shall be attached in the module)
 Marxist Criticism
(Required Reading Marxism Introduction PDF)
According to Marxists, and to other scholars in fact, literature reflects those social institutions out of which it
emerges and is itself a social institution with a particular ideological function. Literature reflects class struggle and
materialism: think how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines characters. So Marxists generally view literature
"not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic criteria, but as 'products' of the economic and ideological
determinants specific to that era" (Abrams 149). Literature reflects an author's own class or analysis of class relations,
however piercing or shallow that analysis may be.

ACTIVITY 2
Answer the following questions: (Note: Answers should be in comprehensible handwriting)
1. What is your reaction about the Marxism theory in literature after reading the article?
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2. Write a reflection paper about the Marxism Introduction article. (Note: The reflection paper shall be written in a
yellow pad sheet. It shall be attached in the module)

ACTIVITY 2.1
A. Read the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and answer the following questions:
1. What role does class play in the work; what is the author's analysis of class relations?
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2. How do characters overcome oppression?
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3. In what ways does the work serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it?
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4. What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts ignored or blamed elsewhere?
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5. Does the work propose some form of utopian vision as a solution to the problems encountered in the work?
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B. Read the short story “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant and answer the following questions:
1. What role does class play in the work; what is the author's analysis of class relations?
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2. How do characters overcome oppression?
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In what ways does the work serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts ignored or blamed elsewhere?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Does the work propose some form of utopian vision as a solution to the problems encountered in the work?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Write a reflection paper about the two fiction stories you’ve read. (Note: The reflection paper shall be written in a
yellow pad sheet. It shall be attached in the module)