Literary Criticism & Theories
What is literature?
- Word meaning is “a writing formed with letters”
- published work
- work of imagination and creative power
- work with artistic/aesthetic qualities
- work which tells a story (on human values, emotions, ideas, actions)
- work which is still read centuries after its creation
Literature is a subjective discipline, which means there can not be one certain or unquestionable truth of a work of literature. Literary works can be interpreted in a number of ways and can have more than one meaning. In this aspect, literature differs from the disciplines of science, which are based on experimental facts.
What is criticism?
- Criticism is a term derived from the Greek words “krino” meaning “to judge” and “krites” meaning “a judge or jury person”
- In general, criticism is the expression of disapproval of someone or something on the basis of perceived faults or mistakes.
- In literary terms, criticism is the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary work
Why is literary criticism important?
- Through literary criticism, readers produce different, often contradictory approaches and, in this way, advance/deepen arguments.
- Literary criticism contributes to readers’ developing new perspectives and formulating their ideas on literary texts.
- Through literary criticism, we can knowingly explore the questions that help define our humanity, critique our culture, evaluate our actions, or simply increase our appreciation and enjoyment of both a literary work and life itself.
What is literary theory?
Derived from the Greek word “theoria”, the word theory means a “view or perspective of the Greek stage.” Literary theory, then, offers to us a view of life, an understanding of why we interpret texts the way we do. Consider the various places in the theatre the audience may sit. Depending on our seats- whether we are close to the stage, far back, to the far left, to the far right, or in the middle row- our view and therefore our interpretation of the events taking place on the stage will change. Literary theory figuratively and literally asks where we are “sitting” when we are reading a text.
Literary Theory
- Literary theoryis the philosophical discussion of literary criticism’s methods and goals
- well-articulated literary theory assumes that an innocent reading of a text or a sheerly emotional or spontaneous reaction to a work cannot exist. Theory questions the assumptions, beliefs, and feelings of readers, asking why they respond to a text in a certain way.
- Whereas literary criticism involves our analysis of a text, literary theory is concerned with our understanding of the ideas, concepts and intellectual assumptions.
Major schools of literary criticism
- Russian Formalism and New Criticism
- Reader-Oriented Criticism
- Modernity and Postmodernism: Structuralism and Deconstruction
- Psychoanalytic Criticism
- Feminism
- Marxism
- New Historicism
- Mythological and Archetypal Approaches
- Ecocriticism
Read Also: Types of Literary Criticism