Reaction Papers, Reviews, and Critiques

• specialized forms of writing in which a reviewer or reader evaluates any of the following:
 A scholarly work (e.g., academic books and articles)
 A work of art (e.g., performance art, play, dance, sports, film, exhibits)
 Designs (e.g., industrial designs, furniture, fashion design)
 Graphic designs (e.g., posters, billboards, commercials, and digital media)
 usually range in length from 250-750 words
 not simply summaries but are critical assessments, analyses, or evaluation of different works
 they involve your skills in critical thinking and recognizing arguments
 however, you should not connect the word critique to cynicism and pessimism
 reviewers use both proofs and logical reasoning to substantiate their comments rather than
relying on mere opinions
Critical approaches in writing a critique
1. Formalism
• claims that literary works contain intrinsic properties and treats each work as a distinct work of
art
• in short, it posits that the key to understanding a text is through the text itself
Read a sample formalist critique of Dead Stars, a classic Filipino short story by Paz Marquez
Benitez.
The title of the work already gives an idea as to what it means. In physics, it is stated
that the light and energy of the stars have to travel light years to reach us. Since they are
millions of miles away and light has to travel this large distance, it is highly possible that the star
has already exploded while its light is still travelling towards us. Therefore it is possible that a
bright light we see at night actually comes from a dead star. In the story, this metaphor is used
to refer to Alfredo’s love for Julia, a woman he meets and falls for one fateful summer. Not only
is the title an indicator of what is to come, even the fate of the characters in the story can
already be seen through the names. Alfredo’s name means counselor of elves in Spanish and
suggests someone who is wise. In the story, it is indicated that Alfredo is a lawyer, a person who
counsels. Still, his name denotes a certain irony; despite his supposed wisdom, Alfredo’s actions,
especially his covert courtship with Julia while being engaged to another, are anything but
sensible. Julia’s name, on the other hand, refers to someone who is youthful, which is how
Alfredo sees her for eight years until he is confronted by reality.
2. Feminist criticism
Common aspects looked into in feminism:
• How culture determines gender
• How gender equality (or lack of it) is presented in the text
• How gender issues are presented in literary works and other aspects of human production
and daily life
• How women are socially, politically, psychologically, and economically oppressed by
patriarchy
• How patriarchal ideology is an overpowering presence
 The story is a study of power imbalance brought about by gender. In the beginning, Dead Stars
already clearly illustrates the gender roles ingrained in Filipino society: Don Julian and the judge are
portrayed as the male leaders of the household, taking up lofty professions such as business and law
while the women are portrayed accomplishing domestic tasks such as tending to children and
preparing food. The most note-worthy display of imbalance in power, however, lies on the central
theme of Alfredo’s love for Julia as simply a dead star. Eight years after their forbidden love and
after getting married to another woman, Alfredo still holds Julia as an object of affection, thus
creating a distance between him and his wife Esperanza. In their relationship as a wedded couple,
the power lies in Alfredo, not only because patriarchal society designates him as the head of the
household, but also because he remains unreachable to his wife by harbouring feelings for another
woman. Moreover, the realization that his love for Julia is simply a dead star is brought about by his
treatment of Julia as simply an illusion and an object of affection, and not as a woman. This gender
imbalance leads to a tragic epiphany for the characters, but is also a reflection of how men are
viewed to dominate not only in the household but also in their relationship with women.
3. Reader response criticism
• concerned with the reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a work
• claims that the reader’s role cannot be separated from the understanding of the work; a
text does not have meaning until the reader reads it and interprets it
• readers are not passive and distant, but are active consumers of the material presented to
them
Common aspects looked into in reader response criticism:
• Interaction between the reader and the text in creating meaning
• The impact of reader’s delivery of sounds and visuals on enhancing and changing meaning
Sample reader response critique of Dead Stars
Despite being limited in length, Dead Stars manages to evoke various feelings which
ultimately build up the ending. While Alfredo is the center of the story, as a woman reader it
is hard not to feel greatly for Esperanza. Esperanza can only be seen through the perspective
of Alfredo. This does a disservice to her, as we can only know her through the description of
someone who does not love her anymore. Still, it is also through Alfredo’s descriptions and
his unfaithfulness that Esperanza gains sympathy from the reader. During all the moments
when Alfredo and Julia are together, the thought of Esperanza looms in the background ---
does she know? How will she react? What will happen now? The sympathy only increases
when they get married, for it is clear that Alfredo is detached from her and is still harbouring
feelings for Julia. While the end certainly evokes a feeling of loss at Alfredo’s epiphany, it is
the feeling of betrayal for Esperanza that stays.
4. Marxist criticism
• concerned with differences between economic classes and implications of a capitalist
system, such as the continuing conflicts between the working class and the elite
• attempts to reveal that the ultimate source of people’s experience is the socioeconomic
system
Common aspects looked into in Marxist criticism:
• Social class as represented in the work
 • Social class of the writer/creator
• Social class of the characters
• Conflicts and interactions between economic classes
Sample Marxist criticism of Dead Stars
The imbalanced societal power play is evident in the short story in the form of
the treatment of the characters based on their class. This is the most easily evident in
the conversation between Alfredo and his fiancée, Esperanza, about Calixta, their note-
carrier who grew up in the latter’s family. The scene depicts parallelism in the
circumstance of Alfredo and his new love, Julia, and Calixta and her live-in partner.
However, while no one blatantly frowns upon the budding relationship between Alfredo
and Julia, except for some whispered rumors that reach Esperanza, Calixta is dubbed as
“ungrateful” to her master for doing such an act. Alfredo does not have to answer to
anyone for his unfaithfulness, but Calixta is responsible not only for what her family
might think, but also for the members of her master’s family. Despite the same
circumstances, the two people are regarded differently based on their positions in life.
Structure of a review (other types)
Introduction
• Basic details about the material, such as its title, director or artist, name of exhibition/event,
and the like
• Main assessment of the material (for films and performances)
Analysis/interpretation
• Discussion and analysis of the work (you may employ the critical approach here)
• It is best to ask the following questions during this part:
1. What aspects of the work make you think it is a success or failure?
2. Were there unanswered questions or plot lines? If yes, how did they affect the story?
3. Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced through analogies,
metaphors, or other figurative devices? How does this contribute to the meaning?
4. How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other
studies?
5. What stood out while you were watching the film or the performance?
Conclusion/evaluation
• Reinforcement of main assessment
• Comparison to a similar work
• Recommendation of the material (if you liked it)
OUTPUT
Choose one TV show episode or newly released movie and write a 500-word critique about it.
Format:
Font size: 12
Font style: Times New Roman
Margin: 1 inch
Spacing: Double
Paper Size: Long bond paper
Deadline: Second Week of January 2020