Critical Approaches for Interpreting Literature

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Critical Approaches for Interpreting Literature

• How many ways can you analyze a story?

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Evaluations of Literature

• Quantitative arguments rely on criteria that can
  be measured, counted, or demonstrated in some
  mechanical, scientific, mathematical, or
  technological way (something is taller, faster,
  etc)
• Qualitative arguments rely on criteria that must
  be explained through words, relying on such
  matters as values, traditions, and emotions
  (something is more ethical, more beneficial, more
  noble than something else.)

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Which evaluation of literature is the best?

• Quantitative arguments are used for research
  papers where youve defined a quantitative
  standard in your argument that can be supported
  by measuring and counting
• Example of a quantitative standard Whos the
  smartest person in your class?
• You can answer this question quantitatively ACT
  and SAT scores, IQ tests, GPAs, student of the
  month, etcBUT????????
• Do these standards of measurement have their
  limits?

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Which evaluation of literature is best?

• Qualitative evaluations are closest to peoples
  hearts and arent subject to quantification.
  Youre very familiar with identifying a
  qualitative standard to argue.
• Example Titanic is the greatest film of all
  time.
• What makes a great movie? If you quantify it will
  you get your answer?
• What if you think Titanic is craptacular?

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Developing an evaluative argument about
literature

• Claim Catcher in the Rye is the finest novel
  ever written by an American author.
• Reasonbecause it revolutionizes the way we see
  our world.
• Warrant Great literature changes people in a
  fundamental way.
• Evidence Chapter after Chapter, Catcher presents
  the life of its protagonist through images and
  events the reader will never forget.

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OVERVIEW OF Qualitative APPROACHES to analyzing
literature

• Formalism
• Historical
• Biographical
• Cultural
• Marxist
• Psychological
• Mythological and Archetypal
• Gender Focus
• Reader Response
• Deconstruction

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FORMALISM

• The AP English Literature test is heavily biased
  toward the formalist approach.
• Formalism ? formality (i.e., conventional, rigid)
• The form in formalism refers to the form of
  literature.
• MAJOR PREMISE
• The form and content
• of a literary work
• are deeply entwined.

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Implications of Formalism

• A piece of literature is complete within itself.
• All the features of a piece work together in a
  unified, meaningful whole.
• Features means structure, imagery, character
  development, setting, language, and so on.
• Support for an interpretation comes from evidence
  within the poem, story, or play.

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More Implications

• In a poem, for example, rhythm and rhyme are
  considered for the way they enhance tone and
  meaning.
• In Hunters in the Snow, the setting does more
  than just advance the plot -- the setting
  enhances the meaning of the story.
• EXAMPLE The cold and ice in Hunters mirrors
  the hostility that the characters feel toward
  each other.
• EXAMPLE As the story unfolds, the shadows
  increase as daylight diminishes. Simultaneously,
  the storys atmosphere becomes increasingly eerie
  and dangerous as Kennys plight is ignored.

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More Implications

• Close reading examines such details for the
  effect on the meaning.
• When we explore the details, we inform our
  understanding of the meaning of the work as a
  whole.
• EXAMPLE The details about the pick-up truck in
  Hunters led us to the idea that Kenny was
  treated like the carcasses of the shot deer.
• This suggests that the theme may relate to
  dehumanizing aspects of certain relationships.

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Turn it around . . .

• Sometimes the meaning the theme jumps out as
  clear as a bell.
• Examining the details and analyzing their effects
  is still important.
• The effort usually leads to refining the theme.

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THEME

• MEANING, MEANING, MEANING
• USE THE SCHAFER/DILLINGER APPROACH
• A. Begin with this sentence frame
• _________________ is a story about
• _____________ .
• B. Put the title of the story/novel/play/poem in
  the first blank space.
• The Scarlet Letter is a story about _______ .

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• C. In the second blank space, put a single word
  that says what the story is really about.
• --Do not give plot summary, which would look
  like this The Scarlet Letter is a story about a
  woman who has a
• baby out of wedlock.
• Instead, use a word such as hypocrisy
• The Scarlet Letter is a story about hypocrisy.

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• Now, rewrite the sentence and fill in the second
  blank as many times as you have words to put in
  there. A list of possible words for the sentence
  weve been using might look like this
• The Scarlet Letter is a story about
• --hypocrisy
• --sin
• --redemption
• --revenge
• --penance
• --love
• --jealousy
• These words each reflect a subject of this novel.

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• D. Now make phrases out of the words youve
  listed for the second blank, such as
• --the desire for revenge
• --the scourge of jealousy
• E. Consider what the piece of literature says
  about these words/phrases. For example
• Animal Farm by George Orwell is about the abuse
  of power.
• What does the book say about the abuse of power?
  Once you can answer that question, you have
  discovered a theme of the piece.
• EXAMPLE Even the most idealistic principles
  cannot prevail against the corrupting influence
  of power.

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OVERVIEW OF APPROACHES

• Formalism
• Historical
• Biographical
• Cultural
• Marxist
• Psychological
• Mythological and Archetypal
• Gender Focus
• Reader Response
• Deconstruction

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HISTORICAL APPROACHES

• Biographical
• Cultural
• Marxist

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HISTORICAL (Biographical)

• Investigates how an authors life is reflected in
  his or her imaginative writing.
• Example Emily Dickinsons life as a recluse
  explains some aspects of her poems.
• Contrast that with a strictly formalist
  approach by which we read the poem as complete
  within itself.
• NOTE the approaches are not mutually exclusive.
  
• Indeed, the skills of close reading in formalism
  are used in virtually all of the other approaches.

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HISTORICAL (Cultural)

• Premise an artists work occurs in a specific
  time in history.
• Another premise world events affect the
  literature produced during the time.
• Therefore, literature is examined as the original
  audience would see it.
• Example Shakespeares audience would see
  Macbeth as an endorsement of King James I and an
  indictment of Queen Elizabeth I (an unnatural
  woman).

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HISTORICAL -- Cultural

• More examples
• The Crucible is criticism of McCarthyism in the
  1950s, not just a play about the Salem witch
  trials.
• Contemporary writers will undoubtedly be analyzed
  in light of 9/11.
• Consider, for example, Kite Runner and A Thousand
  Splendid Suns

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Relationship between Historical and Formalist
Approaches

• Although the AP Literature test is biased toward
  the formalist approach, please dont ignore what
  you know about history, authors, and cultural
  setting.
• Why?
• Whatever you know about history or the author
  will help your close reading analysis.
• EXAMPLE. Knowing about the Vietnam War
  undoubtedly helped us understand the excerpt from
  The Things They Carried.

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Historical/Formalist Relationship

• ANOTHER EXAMPLE If you knew about the British
  Empire and colonialism, you probably appreciated
  Things Fall Apart better than if you didnt.
• ANOTHER EXAMPLE Knowing about the Roaring
  Twenties and prohibition adds to the
  understanding of The Great Gatsby.

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HISTORICAL -- Marxist

• Premise literature is an artifact of history
  which is driven by economic forces and class
  struggle.
• Another premise the fine arts are a reflection
  of the values of the privileged class who endorse
  the status quo.
• EXAMPLE Eveline reflects the limitations
  imposed by the wealthy on the lower class.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

• Looks at literature through the lens of
  psychological theories.
• Freuds theories dominate much of the discussion.
  
• Example reading Hamlet as an Oedipal conflict
  i.e., son wants to kill Daddy and marry Mommy.
• WARNING you will think you are being profound
  with this approach. Adult readers, however, may
  see it as psychobabble. Frequently, you will
  miss the real importance if you head in this
  direction. Save it for college.

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MYTHOLOGICAL AND ARCHETYPAL

• Identifies and examines common threads between
  dreams, myths, legends, and literature.
• EXAMPLE quest or journey. Harry Potter, Luke
  Skywalker, Simba, Odysseus.
• Uses theories of Carl Jung we all share common
  images and characters as part of the collective
  unconscious.

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READER RESPONSE

• Premise each person bring his or her own
  experiences and points of view to a piece of
  literature.
• Another premise much of what we see in the
  meaning is a projection of our own feelings.
• BUT, this does not mean that far-fetched,
  personal interpretations are okay
  interpretations must still be based on the text.
  
• Advice for AP Literature Honor your responses,
  but analyze using formalist approach.

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deconstruction

• Deconstructionists look for the ways the elements
  in literature contradict each other.
• Premises
• Words cannot express meaning.
• Every utterance contains a lie by omitting all
  other possible utterances.
• Interpretations are sometimes bizarre and
  contradictory.

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COMPARISON

• FORMALISM
• Every feature works together to create meaning.
• Critics say that the formalist approach does not
  give enough consideration to historical and
  cultural factors.

• DECONSTRUCTION
• Finds ways that the features of a literary work
  contradict each other
• Ignores historical factors
• May also lead to nihilism or relativism

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CRITICAL APPROACHES
AP EXAM Questions 1 and 2

• Formalism
• Historical
• Biographical
• Cultural
• Marxist
• Psychological
• Mythological and Archetypal
• Gender Focus
• Reader Response
• Deconstruction

Also helpful
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MORE INFORMATION

• Check out the appendix at pages 1175-1180 in
  McMahan.
• Most of the information in this presentation came
  from those pages AND Ms. McDaniels handout on
  theme.