LITERARY THEORIES

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LITERARY THEORIES CRITICISM

• A Quick Overview

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What would happen
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We must constantly look at things in a different
wayWhen you read, dont just consider what the
author thinks, consider what YOU think.
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What is Literary Theory/Criticism?

• Studies devoted to the comparison, analysis,
  interpretation, and evaluation of works of
  literature.
• The term "criticism" is derived from the Greek
  word kritikos, meaning a "judge."
• Simply, a method for readers to judge/interpret
  what they believe a text is about, states or
  represents

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Why Literary Criticism?

• Literary theories provides readers alternative
  ways of seeing or reading/interpreting a text
  (Roethkes My Papas Waltz)
• Stimulates readers and deepens meaning in a text
  by showing how there may be multiple
  interpretations of the same text
• Sharpens ones critical thinking skills
• Empowers readers to find their own
  interpretations/readings of a text

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Literary Criticism Examples

• F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby
  (Historical/Sociological)
• William Goldings Lord of the Flies
  (Sociological)
• Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper
  (Feminist)
• Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown
  (Mythological/Hero Journey)
• Victor Flemings The Wizard of Oz
  (Psychoanalytical)

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Other Examples

• In Film and Image

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Reading The Godfather

• Good escapist fun/action (aesthetic)
• Spin on the mafia/gangster genre (archetypal)
• Greek tragedy/Tragic Hero (mythological/archetypal
  )
• Dysfunctional families (sociological)
• The failure of the American Dream its leaders
  (historical/sociological)
• Trying to live up to your fathers example
  (psychological)
• Showing mafia as ordinary people with real
  problems (mimetic)
• Try the same with The Sopranos or Scarface

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Reading The Lion King

• Action/adventure (aesthetic)
• Good vs Evil (archetypal)
• Coming of age tale (archetypal/mythological)
• Hero journey (mythological)
• African culture (sociological)

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