Literary Criticism

What is an approach in a literary research?

It means analyzes, evaluates, interprets and criticize literature

Approach is like a knife---- to analyze in doing the research
Analyzing a literary work with no approach is the same as reading
comprehension (practical reading)----- synopsis of a story
There are many different critical approaches the writers can use to discussing
literature.
These approaches look at stories through different filters (approaches)
Focusing only on a particular aspects of a literary work.
Analzying---discovering something different/important---gain a new
understanding
Purpose----learn something new about life and the human condition.
• Approach ---- Filter.
• Approach is like a knife, glasses (lenses)
• Imagine literary theory/approach as a pair of
lenses through which we view the text we are
reading.
• To see something new about the human
condition, the people who write,
 Critical Approaches to the Study of Literature
Critical Approaches are different perspectives we consider when
looking at a piece of literature.
They seek to give us answers to these questions, in addition to
aiding us in interpreting literature.
1. What do we read?
2. Why do we read?
3. How do we read?
Literary Theory (N) Literary Citicisms (V)
• Ideas act as different lenses • Writing that analyzes,
that critics use to view and evaluates or interprets
to talk about art, literature, literature
even culture.
• The different lenses also
allows critics to focus on a
particular aspect of work
considered important
 Kinds of Approaches
Intrinsic Approach (Subjective
Approach) Extrinsic Approach
• Focusing on the text which • Analyzing novel that is
has no relation to the focused on the outside
outside world. factors of the novel.
• Analyzing novel itself. • Focus on psychological,
• Structural Approach sociological, cultural factors
(Intrinsic Elements) found in the novels.
• Stylistic Approach
(Language used)
 Abbram’s View
Literature can be approached :
Literary works can be seen from 1. Objective approach
four elements: 2. Mimetic approach
1. The literary work itself. 3. Pragmatic approach
2. The writer/author. 4. Expressive approach
3. Ideas, events, feeling
support the literary
work.
4. The readers
 Critical Approaches to Consider
1. Reader-Response Criticism
2. Formalist Criticism
3. Psychological/Psychoanalytic Criticism
4. Sociological Criticism
A. Feminist/Gender Criticism
B. Marxist Criticism
5. Biographical Criticism
6. New Historicist Criticism
 Objective Approach

• Objective Approach is an approach that views the work of literature itself

(the text).
• Objective approach emphasizes the integrity and ontologically sound
status of the work itself, without immediate reference to audience, poet, or
external reality.
• This approach focuses on the elements inside of the work of literature and
their relationship. This approach applies structural analysis toward a
literary work.
 The Formalist Approach
Formalist Criticism emphasizes the form of a
literary work to determine its meaning,
focusing on literary elements and how they
work to create meaning.
– Examines a text as independent from its time
period, social setting, and author’s background. A
text is an independent entity.
– Focuses on close readings of texts and analysis of
the effects of literary elements and techniques on
the text.
 Structural Approach
• The structuralists reject the idea that literary works are the
reflection of the reality, that literary works are the expression
of the authors, that literary works are the media of
communication between audience and author.
• Structuralism emphasizes on the autonomy of the literary work
itself.
• Structural approach is considered to be more objective than
other approach because it is only based on the literary work
itself, regardless the external factors.
 Mimetic Approach
• Mimetic Approach is an approach that views the
work of literary not only from the inside of it but
also from outside of it.
• After a literary work is analyzed from the inside
(its intrinsic elements), it is still necessary for the
researcher to connect it with the outside factor
such as the environment/the reality.
• This approach believes that a work of literature is
a reflection or imitation of the real world.
 The Sociological Approach
Sociological criticism argues that social
contexts (the social environment) must be
considered when analyzing a text.
Focuses on the values of a society and how
those views are reflected in a text
Emphasizes the economic, political, and
cultural issues within literary texts
Core Belief: Literature is a reflection of its
society.
 #The Marxist Approach#
Marxist Criticism emphasizes economic and
social conditions. It is based on the
political theory of Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels.
Concerned with understanding the role
of power, politics, and money in literary
texts
 #The Feminist Approach#
Feminist Criticism is concerned with the
role, position, and influence of women in
a literary text.
Asserts that most “literature”
throughout time has been written by
men, for men.
Examines the way that the female
consciousness is depicted by both male
and female writers.
 The Feminist Approach
4 Basic Principles of Feminist Criticism
1. Western civilization is patriarchal.
2. The concepts of gender are mainly cultural
ideas created by patriarchal societies.
3. Patriarchal ideals pervade “literature.”
4. Most “literature” through time has been
gender-biased.
 Pragmatic Approach
• Pragmatic Approach is an approach that views the
work of literature from the readers. The success of a
literary work is measured from the readers’ respond.
A literary work works well if it can give “pleasure”
and “value” to the readers.
• Pragmatic deals with the relationship between text
and audience
1. The Reader-Response Approach
2 Important Ideas in Reader-Response
1. An individual reader’s interpretation
usually changes over time.
2. Readers from different generations and
different time periods interpret texts
differently.

Ultimately… How do YOU feel about what

you have read? What do YOU think it
means?
 Expressive Approach
• Expressive Approach is an approach that views the
work of literature from the writer/the author/the
playwright as the creator of it. It deals with how the
creator expresses the ideas in the work of literary.
• Expressive has to do with the relationship between
poet and work. Expressive theory would be the
appropriate title here
 The Psychological/ Psychoanalytic
Approach
Psychological Criticism views a text as a
revelation of its author’s mind and
personality. It is based on the work of
Sigmund Freud.
– Also focuses on the hidden motivations
of literary characters
– Looks at literary characters as a reflection
of the writer