Using Critical Lenses

By looking through various people’s perspectives in literature, we can more thoroughly

understand the world. If we were narrow-minded and only looked at the world through one
perspective, the world wouldn’t make as much sense. With everyone’s perspectives, the
understanding of our society and world makes a lot more sense.
Different Lenses:

Reader Response Lens

This lens is a personal response to what is going on in the world, a reaction to events, etc.
This approach believes that literature exists as a relationship between the text and the mind
of a reader. It attempts “to describe what happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a
text” and reflects that ​reading​, like writing, is a creative process.

1. How are my personal experiences affecting how I read this?

2. How am I relating to the story? What am I not connecting with or understanding?
3. What do I already know about this, and how am I using my past knowledge?
4. How does my interpretation of what is happening differ from others?

Gender/Feminist Lens
This lens helps us examine how gender is a factor in literature The main focus is on how
women are portrayed, how they function, behave, are limited/privileged for being women.
However, we also examine how maleness defines roles & limits men.

1. Are there “natural” roles the men and women fill?

2. Who puts limitations on genders? Who grants privileges to a gender?
3. How does a character’s gender affect the plot?
4. What are the social expectations of men and women in this story?
5. How does the society value men and women differently? What about men is valued?
What about women is valued?

Psychological
This lens dives into the psychology of thoughts and feelings, and pays attention to state of
mind, feelings, emotions, and desires of the characters.

1. What is going on in the mind of any character in the book?

2. Do the characters have dreams and goals? Are they working towards them?
3. Do the characters experience guilt or fear? What about other internal conflicts?
4. How are the characters internal conflicts affecting them?
Example responses: ​The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Reader response:
This is a case where I had seen the movie before I read the book, which I always really regret
because then I feel as though my imagination is limited. Because I know that this story takes
place in Berlin during WWII, and that Bruno lives in a nice house, I made the connection
that “Fury” actually meant “Fuhrer,” which was a reference to Hitler. Sometimes when I
read stories told through the viewpoint of a child, I have difficulties bringing myself back to
that age and remembering what it was like. I think that I am relating to this book because I
have been to Germany, and have an understanding of what their elaborate house might look
like. My interpretation is different from others because I have read the book a number of
times, as well as seen the movie, so I know the story very well. Also, I have visited a
concentration camp (Dachau), so I can visualize what they might be seeing out of their
window.

Gender/Feminist:
In chapter 1, I see mother as not having a lot of power in the household. I see this in different
ways. For instance, nobody is allowed in father’s office. She has an argument with father at
the end, but he eventually is louder than her and she leaves. She does not seem to want to
leave, and she looks nervous when she tells Bruno, which makes me think that she has no
say in the matter. We also know that they are moving for father’s job, which makes me think
that she might not have a job since it wasn’t mentioned.
I also see Bruno’s father not being very warm or loving. He maybe feels like he has to put on
this hard exterior shell, or show no emotion because he is a man.
Other things:
-Gretel and her dolls
-Maria is the maid… are there every male maids?
-Bruno feels like he wants to cry at different points, but never lets himself.

Psychological:
In chapter 1, I notice that Bruno is very confused about the reasons why they are moving,
and is concentrating on why he has to leave his three good friends. He seems to have a sense
of right and wrong. I see this in his ideas of “being polite” and how he notices that mother
talks to Maria differently than father. His current internal conflict is that he has to move
away from all that he knows, and doesn’t entirely know why. He is reacting in a pretty
normal way: by questioning his mother and showing his anger.
Gretel is trying to wrap her brain around the situation, and may have to deny what she
knows is actually happening. This is probably a coping mechanism so she does not have to
accept the horrific role her father is playing in the situation.