Reader Response Paper 1

What is Critical Theory? This is the question that resounded in my head while feeling a

great deal of frustration, anxiety and confusion. Throughout my life I have never given literature

the importance it should be given. Now, I encounter myself in a position where I no longer need

to read to answer only basic questions but to read, understand and see things from a different

perspective. In my first attempt of reading Chapter 1 in the text “Critical Theory Today: A User

Friendly Guide” by Lois Tyson, her introduction started with a set of questions which

immediately made me feel a personal connection with her. I admire how she managed to produce

a piece of humor and personal writing in an effort to allow the readers to feel identified and

understood. This style of writing captures the attention of the reader and allows the reader to

become engaged. Her purpose for this text is not only to introduce the concept of Critical theory

but to help them apply it to literary works in order to understand the true meaning of literature.

Even though I found The Critical Theory hard to follow at times, Lois Tyson’s text is still

relatable, and made me understand that a literary work can be seen from different theoretical

scopes.

Moreover Tyson goes explaining that, “with notable exceptions, most theoretical

writing—by the big names in the field and by those who attempt to explain their ideas to

novices—is filled with technical terms and theoretical concepts that assume a level of familiarity

new-comers simply don’t have.” (p.1) In this text Lois Tyson presents each theory on its own

terms. She provides clear explanations along with theoretical sophistication in order to give each

reader an opportunity to understand it at their own level of reading. What I most like about the

text is that she not only gives the terminology of the theories discussed but also allows the reader
to be able to understand the application of each critical theory in interpreting literary texts. The

fact that she use Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby to emphasize each theory was a great idea. I feel

inspired by the way that Tyson wrote this book. Being a well-educated professor and author she

decides to introduce Critical Theory to us teachers and students at a lower level showing us some

type of empathy as her readers. That tells a lot of her personality and shows that she is more

interested in having us as her readers to understand the concept rather than trying to impress us

with large words or jargons that we would have not been able to understand as a novice.

Throughout the text we can see how she writes in a clear, conversational style whereby she gives

us real life scenarios in order to give us concrete shapes of each abstract theoretical concept.

“Change the lens and you change both the view and the viewer.” (Tyson, p.9) This

statements really made me think a lot as an individual, a new teacher and a mother. If I refer to

this statement in the context of the book I would say that the way that Tyson came about writing

this entire text at a lower level was a way of changing the lens of every reader including mines.

By changing the norm of having a sophisticated writing style she encouraged us as students to

want to learn and to become more knowledgeable of the true picture of what literature is. As a

novice reader and never being quite interested in literature Tyson has open my mind to a wider

view of how things are in the world. Literature includes culture, politics, religion and history

which all gives us an identity. Having a close mind and focusing on one lens-my lens, I missed

out a lot on things happening around me. Being able to see things through these theories allows

me as a person to see my complete life differently. As a teacher I was limiting myself to a level

of knowledge in literature. I was also depriving my students the opportunity of me being able of

teaching them to see things differently as well. As a mother I was depriving my son to see

through my lens only, when I should encourage him to see and understand life and everything
that goes around in the world through different perspectives. I loved this text because it taught

me to see both life and literary work in a complete different manner.

 References

Tyson, L. (2006). Critical theory today: A user-friendly guide. New York: Routledge

Tyson, L. (1999). Critical Theory Today: a User-Friendly Guide.