Literary Criticism /

Analysis:
Putting Theory into
Practice
Chapter 4

Types
Close Textual Reading
Encapsulation of liberal humanism, Russian
formalism, and New Criticism

Biographical Approach
Reader Response Criticism
Structuralism, Semiotics, and Narratology
Post structuralism Deconstruction
Post modernism
Psychoanalytic/ Psychological Criticism
Feminism Gender Criticism
Historical/Cultural Criticism

Close Textual Reading

Encapsulation of liberal humanism, Russian
formalism, and New Criticism
Liberal humanism grew out of the literary theory
that preceded English becoming a subject of
study (before it was called literary theory)
Russian formalism flourished in Moscow and St.
Petersburg in the 1920s
Russian formalists based their theories on Ferdinand
de Saussure, the Swiss linguist.
The Russian formalists argued that literature was a
systematic set of linguistic and structured elements
that could be analyzed
Literature from their perspective was a self-enclosed
system studied for its form not its content

 Encapsulation of liberal humanism,

Russian formalism, and New Criticism
New criticism is related to Russian formalism
but remains it own school of thought
It put forth that a reader should understand
and value a work for its own inherent worth
It came about in many ways as a reaction to
the attention of scholars and teachers of the
early 20th century on the biographical and
historical context of a work
The new critics (TS Eliot) didnt like that the
text itself seemed to be diminished by the
attention paid to its externalities
So, the new critics interest would be in the
finished work, not how the work was finished

Close Textual Reading, and Stylistics

Mary H Snyder
Regardless of the text and the approaches
that will be applied to that text to formulate a
complex and engaging critique of it, one
should always begin with the close reading
approach, since it focuses the reader first and
foremost on the text itself, and this is
important

 Basic question asked of a text when

reading it closely include
how the various elements of the work
reinforce its meanings, and
how these elements are related to the whole

The works organizing principle needs to

be identified, as do the issues that the
work raises.
How the structure of the work resolves
those issues is crucial to this
reading/watching as well
The following questions, which help to
arrive at a theme and a starting point

Questions

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Plot
Character
Point of view
Setting
Symbolism
Style, tone, irony
Title
Theme

1 Plot
Does the plot conform to a formula? No
Is it predictable? No
What are the conflicts in the story? Internal,
External
Are there flashbacks, foreshadowing? Yes
Where is the climax? Middle, end
Are the conflicts resolved at the end? Yes
Outline the plot, and how events unfold, being
very specific.
How does the structure of the plot affect
reading /watching the work?

2 Character
Who is the main character and why? Anna, her
story, other more powerful but she is the centre
Who are the other characters in the story and
how are they used? Her brother, husband,
LOVER, son, so on
How does the author/auteur reveal characters?
At the most intense moment
How are they described? Contextually, only in
relation to Anna
Make a list of the characters and describe them,
from their physical attributes to how theyre
portrayed

3 Point of view

Who tells the story? The narrator

Is it one narrator? No
Is it first person or third person? Third person
If it is third person, is it third-person omniscient, limited
omniscient, or objective?
How much does the narrator know? Only for the moment
Does the point of view change during the course of the
story? Yes
Is the narration reliable and objective? Or does the
narrator appear innocent, emotional, or self-deluded?
Does the author directly comment on the action? No

How does the point of view affect your reading of the

text?

4 Setting

Is the setting important? Partial

How is it used to flesh out the characters,
and / or develop the characters? Sets the
action
Is the setting used symbolically? Yes
alone, social
Is the setting vital enough to the story to
be considered a character? No
Describe the setting, especially if it
changes parental, husband, lover

5 Symbolism
Are there symbols used in the story?
Yes beginning wild chase, pit, bear,
delicate twig; ending candle, swimming,
child
How do they contribute to ones
understanding of the story?
Help the audience understand the mood,
development of action, development of
character, etc.

6 Style, tone, irony

Is the style consistent throughout? No
Do all the characters use the same language,
or are there different voices? No, different
voices
Is the level of diction formal or informal?
Depends husband, son, brother, lover
How are the sentences constructed? Simple to
complex the character too deep and focused
to let it shift to language alone
How does the author/auteurs use of language
contribute to the tone of the story? Blends well

7 Title
How does the title relate to the tone of
the story?
Centers around her only all events and
characters have meaning in relation to
her only

8 Theme
What are the themes running through the
story? is it adultery if so why is she still
the ruling character
What is the text saying to the
reader/viewer? Is she a mere adulteress?
What messages are being conveyed? Live
life, have guts, be desirable her hamartia
Explain the theme that you see in the text
live for herself stand by yourself, force
people to respect you

Stylistics
Stylistics identifies the linguistic details of
a particular work and how they contribute
to the texts overall meaning and effects dialogues
Stylistic critics
Describe technical aspects of the language of
the text
Provide objective linguistic data to support
existing readings or intuitions about a literary
work
Often try to establish a new reading of the
text