Critical Theory

New Criticism: 1. views text as a unified, autonomous work of art; unity amongst textual elements reveals a prevailing theme. 2. all meaning is contained within the text itself. Historical and biographical influences on the text are set aside. 3. text is analyzed by examining its parts and the relationships between them (elements such as structure, diction, imagery, motif, etc.) 4. text’s meaning is often focused and reinforced through its use of archetype, imagery, and symbolism.

New Historicism: 1. views the text as the product of its culture and its historical time 2. uses historical and cultural factors to deepen understanding of the text’s creation, reception, and purpose in its own time, and now.

Freudian Criticism: 1. is based on the work of Sigmund Freud. 2. Is primarily focused on how the unconscious self influences human action. 3. argues that the mind is composed of three major areas;  the id, or unconscious and instinctual mind;  the superego, or social conscience, which controls the id;  and the ego, or conscious mind, which constantly negotiates between the id and the superego 4. defines the Oedipal complex: the unconscious love of the son for the mother motivates the son to disempower or replace the father.

Jungian Criticism: 1. is based on the work of Carl Jung 2. is primarily concerned with “primordial” images, or universal symbols that are part of a collective consciousness that all people share (archetypes) 3. these archetypes are expressed through myth, in dreams, and in literature and are usually representative of experiences that are fundamental to the human condition. Ie, death, birth, maturation, family, celebration, hunger, dreams, etc. EX: As an archetype, ‘spring’ is symbolic of birth, regeneration, hope, growth, youth. Because these associated meanings are widely understood across many cultures, spring is considered an archetype that evokes these ideas within the ‘collective conscsiousness.’

Feminist Criticism: 1. interested in how women are constructed and represented in literature 2. explores the way gender, the role of women, and female identify is created by society, and in its literature

Marxist Criticism: 1. based on the work of Karl Marx 2. interested in how socio-economic structures and hierarchical class systems are constructed and maintained in a society, and in its literature 3. believes that the class struggle is part of our evolution as humankind moves toward equality 4. is interested in critiquing oppressive economic systems and in addressing the needs and interests of people who are marginalized in such systems Introducing Critical Theory Most literary critics would agree that any kind of literary analysis must begin with a close, thoughtful reading of the text, known as critical analysis or “close reading.” By examining the text closely and uncovering the relationships between elements such as atmosphere, setting, character, diction, imagery, motif, and symbol, the reader comes to understand the prevailing themes in the work at many levels. The idea of literary theory as an approach to understanding texts first emerged during the Industrial Revolution. Originally, people began discussing texts and their meanings as a way to become educated without pursuing a classical education. In the beginning, literary theory was an attempt to civilize the emerging, yet poorly educated, middle class during a period when society was changing very quickly. By the 1930’s, it had become a subject in university where its fundamental purpose was to study literature in an almost scientific fashion. Critical (or, literary) theory now encompasses many forms. Basically, a critical theory is an ideological framework for examining a text.