Literary Criticism at a Glance Reader Response Criticism -allows readers to focus on the aspects of the text that they

were emotionally impacted by or found most important. The goal is to make connections between the world of the text and the world of the reader. *This is most basic of the literary criticism types. 1. What personal experiences did the text remind you of? 2. Where in the text did you remember/rethink aspects of your life? 3. What connections did you make with other stories you know? 4. How did the text affect each reader differently/similarly? 5. Can you make connections to bigger issues in school/community/world? Psychological Criticism-examines the text as a reflection of the authors life and experiences. 1. In what character(s) (not limited to narrator) does the author appear? Why? 2. Is the story a camouflage for something that happened to the author and which is now displaced in this story? 3. What fears or anxieties in characters appear to be reflections of the author? 4. Read other works by the same author. Link together similar ideas and trace those back to the author. Psychoanalytic criticism examines a text as an expression of the human mind. Terms developed by Sigmund Freud (id, ego, superego) are frequently applied to characters to explain their motivations. 1. ID-Which characters act selfishly and childishly? 2. EGO-Which characters act rationally and/or try to resolve conflicts between the selfish and altruistic characters? 3. SUPEREGO-Which characters act to benefit others, rather than themselves. Rhetorical Criticism- studies how the narrators choices in telling the story (tone, plot choices, pacing) work together to make the narrators/authors point. Remember-the author writes the story but usually creates a narrator with a distinct personality to TELL the story. In rhetorical criticism, always ask while reading Is the narrator reliable in his telling of the storyis s/he trying to manipulate me? 1. Rules of Notice-What are the various meanings behind the texts title? Reexamine the first and last sentence. How do these provide more details about the point (theme) of the story? 2. Rules of Signification- What are the aspects of the text that are more significant than others and why? (look for longer descriptions, more pages devoted to one scene, etc) 3. Rules of Configuration-What patterns are evident in the text? (heros journey, foil characters, symbols) How do these reinforce the theme of the text? 4. Rules of Coherence-The story is told in a certain sequence of events that make it understandable to readers. However, are there ever breaks in coherence where you do not understand what is going on? Why would the narrator confuse youdoes it reflect aspects of the characters in the story? 5. Point of View -What is point of view of the narrator? How does this technique affect the telling of the story? What would happen if the story was told in a different point of view? New Criticism-analyzing aspects of the text for themes and deeper meaning. 1. What is the setting of the text and how does that affect the storys tone and theme? 2. Examine the actions and descriptions of each character in the text. How do they show themes? 3. What are the sources of conflict in the text and how are they resolved? 4. What are objects and colors that seem to be repeated throughout the story? What might be an
Created by Sarah Ressler 2006. Many of the ideas and questions presented are derived from Dr. Anna Soters handouts in the OSU class Literary Theory and Young Adult Literature (CRT from Toni Morrison).

overall meaning for each that incorporates every time they are used 5. What style is the author writing in-long, flowing descriptions, use of similes/metaphors/imagery, short choppy, etc. How does the style of the writing reflect the setting, characters or themes of the text? Deconstruction-works to find a truth in a text by breaking apart a scene, page or paragraph asking why it occurs. Support for the analysis of a small section comes from other places in the text. One might examine a characters actions in a certain scene and break down each sentence to examine exactly what the character did. Then the critic would examine how each aspect of the action could be linked to earlier and later actions by the character. Finally, the critic would show how the analyzed scene was a turning point for the character. Gendered Perspective Criticism -Examines the text in terms of its treatment of males and female roles and identity. 1. How do you think the women/men in the text are portrayed in words and actions? What are men/women NOT doing? What differences between males and females are highlighted in the text? 2. Which characters appear to have power in the novel and which do not? Do the power dynamics reflect gender roles? If so, how; if not, why not? 3. Do the actions of males/females appear to be stereotypical? In what ways? In what ways might the author be challenging stereotypes? When, challenged, do you look upon those characters more favorably or not? 4. With character changes, are the attitudes in the communities also changed? How? New Historicism/Cultural Criticism -Examines texts on the basis of how they reflect the history and culture of the time period. Text are considered both historical documents and cultural artifacts. Typical questions: 1. Where do you see elements of history and culture in the text? 2. How does the text reflect the culture of the world and specifically the region in which the author was living when writing? 3. What is the role of history on the story? 4. How does the text reflect the basic beliefs, superstitions, etc. of the people during the times it was written? 5. How do the values, attitudes and history of today impact the reading/understanding of the history/culture in the text? Critical Race Theory-examines how race is portrayed by writers. Focuses on the idea that in order to define the self, a character must also separate him/herself from others. Remember, race is a social construct, not biological. 1. Who is the protagonist in the novel? Is he/she white? What actions are taken by white characters as opposed to actions taken by characters of other races? What is each race allowed and not allowed to do? 2. Whose actions are seen as more positive and why? Who has more power? 3. Are other races portrayed as more primitive or closer to nature? How does this make them appear less civilized? How does this make them appear separate from others? Marxist Criticism-Examines literature based on how the texts reflects or subverts the ideals of social order and hierarchy. Often grouped w/historical criticism.

Heros Journey/Archetypal-examines the main characters through categorizing their struggles in the story (heros journey) or how their struggle reflects their personality (archetypes). See heros journey handout and archetypal handout for details.