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    Introducing Literary Theory Lesson Plan

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    John Vicente
    This document provides a lesson plan for introducing students to literary theory through analyzing a previously read work. The plan involves: [1] introducing the concept of literary theory and how different lenses can lead to different interpretations; [2] breaking students into groups to analyze the work through the lens of feminist, Marxist, psychological or mythological theory; [3] having groups discuss their analysis. The document includes handouts describing each theory and questions to guide analyzing the work through that theoretical perspective.

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    Introducing Literary Theory Lesson Plan

    Uploaded by

    John Vicente
    285 views7 pages
    This document provides a lesson plan for introducing students to literary theory through analyzing a previously read work. The plan involves: [1] introducing the concept of literary theory and how different lenses can lead to different interpretations; [2] breaking students into groups to analyze the work through the lens of feminist, Marxist, psychological or mythological theory; [3] having groups discuss their analysis. The document includes handouts describing each theory and questions to guide analyzing the work through that theoretical perspective.

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    literary theory

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    This document provides a lesson plan for introducing students to literary theory through analyzing a previously read work. The plan involves: [1] introducing the concept of literary theory and how different lenses can lead to different interpretations; [2] breaking students into groups to analyze the work through the lens of feminist, Marxist, psychological or mythological theory; [3] having groups discuss their analysis. The document includes handouts describing each theory and questions to guide analyzing the work through that theoretical perspective.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    285 views7 pages

    Introducing Literary Theory Lesson Plan

    Uploaded by

    John Vicente
    This document provides a lesson plan for introducing students to literary theory through analyzing a previously read work. The plan involves: [1] introducing the concept of literary theory and how different lenses can lead to different interpretations; [2] breaking students into groups to analyze the work through the lens of feminist, Marxist, psychological or mythological theory; [3] having groups discuss their analysis. The document includes handouts describing each theory and questions to guide analyzing the work through that theoretical perspective.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    The key takeaways are that literary texts can be analyzed through different literary theories, each providing a different perspective. Theories introduced include feminist, marxist, psychological, and mythological theories.

    The different literary theories introduced are feminist theory, marxist/classist theory, psychological/freudian theory, and mythological/archetypal theory. Each has a different focus such as examining gender roles, class structures, psychological motivations, and mythological archetypes.

    Examples given are analyzing The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, and Heart of Darkness from both a feminist perspective and a marxist perspective, showing how each theory highlights different aspects of the text.

    Free Lesson Plan

    Introducing Literary Theory – A Unit Wrap-Up

    Objectives:
    • Introduce the concept of literary theory
    • Introduce students to the basic tenets of Feminist, Marxist, Psychological, and Mythological
    Literary Theory
    • Analyze a work read in class using basic questions from a variety of theories
    Time:
    1 class period
    Materials
    One copy of each handout
    Procedures
    1. Introduce the concept of literary theory.
    Begin the class by asking, “Is there a single correct interpretation for a book?” In an informal
    discussion, explore the idea of what a book “means.” Ask specifically about the most recent
    book that you read together in class and steer the discussion to an understanding that works
    of literature have multiple levels of meaning and can be interpreted in a variety of different
    ways.
    In discussing the concept of “meaning,” try to introduce one or two potential literary theories
    as possible meanings for the text. See the following three examples of popular classroom texts
    as examples.

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


    Is The Great Gatsby about the differences between the rich and the poor and what a person
    needs to do to cross that gap?
    Or is it about what a man will do in an attempt to impress the woman he loves and how
    people are trapped by society into their relationships?

    Lord of the Flies by William Golding


    Is Lord of the Flies about the struggle between those who have the weapons and power and
    those who are attempting to maintain civilization?
    Or is it a retelling of the biblical story of the Fall and humanity’s being cast out of the Garden
    of Eden?
    Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
    Is Heart of Darkness a story about the horrors caused by the evil excesses of 19th century
    colonialism?
    Or is it a version of the hero’s journey in which Marlowe travels on a quest and learns about
    his own true nature?
    Explain that in each of the above examples (or those that you provide), the story can be read
    in both ways, and each provides a different lens into the story. Those different lenses are
    called “Critical Theories” and there are dozens, if not hundreds, of potential approaches to
    reading literature.

    2. Break students into groups to examine a work they’ve recently read in class.
    Break your students into 4 groups of equal size and give each group a different handout.
    Each handout includes an introduction to one theory and 5 questions that guide your
    students through an examination of a work through that theory.
    In small groups, students should discuss each of the following theories and answer the
    questions in the handout.

    3. Bring students together to discuss.


    When your students have completed the handouts, ask each group to give a short analysis of
    the book from their assigned perspective. Ask them to start by describing what their theory is
    and give a brief description of the theory. Ask what they learned about the book from looking
    at it from this perspective.
    Feminist Literary Theory

    Introduction:
    Feminist Theory explores how gender is portrayed in literature. Because most literature
    that has traditionally been studied was written from a male point of view, much of Feminist
    Theory focuses on examining the power relationships between male and female characters,
    whether female characters are as well-developed as the male characters, or whether there is
    deliberate or unintentional sexism throughout the book.

    Questions for a Feminist Reading:


    1. What stereotypes of women are present? Are female characters oversimplified?
    Weak? Foolish? Excessively naïve?

    Example:

    2. Do the female characters have any power? What kind is it—Political? Economic?
    Social? Psycholgical?

    Example:

    3. How do the male characters talk about and with female characters?

    Example:

    4. Are the female characters as well developed as the male characters? Are they believable?

    5. After looking at the text from this perspective, what have you learned about the way
    women are portrayed in literature and the media?
    Marxist / Classist Literary Theory

    Introduction:

    While the name may bring up thoughts of the Soviet Union, Marxist Theory isn’t about
    wearing red and singing the “Internationale.” Marxist Literary Theory is based on examining
    a piece of literature to see how it reveals class conflict, the differences between economic
    groups, and the difference between the material and spiritual.

    Questions for a Marxist / Classist Literary Reading:


    1. Who are the powerful people in the text? Who are the powerless? Which group receives
    the most attention?

    2. Why do the powerful have power? Why are the powerless without power?

    3. Do the powerful in the text suppress the powerless? How? Media? Religion?
    Economics? Literature?

    Examples:

    4. What does the society value? Are possessions acquired for their usefulness or their
    social value?

    5. After reading this text, do you notice any systems of oppression that you have accepted?
    If so, what system, and how do you think you came to accept it?
    Psychological / Freudian Theory

    Introduction:

    The Psychological/Freudian approach examines the symbols, characters, and author from the
    perspective of classical psychology—seeking to understand the hidden meanings and moti-
    vations of a work. This method of examining a work often focuses on the deeper significance
    of dreams and symbols and the psychological issues of the author or the characters; it uses
    theories such as the three-fold view of the subconscious to better understand a work of
    literature.

    Questions for a Psychological / Freudian Reading:


    1 . What do you infer about the character from his or her thoughts, actions, and speech?

    2. What discrepancies exist between the author’s portrayal of the character and how other
    characters react to him or her?

    3. How does the character view him or herself?

    4. Are there any inner conflicts within the character? How are these conflicts revealed?
    How are they dealt with? Are they resolved? How?

    5. Do any of the characters perform uncharacteristic actions? If so, what? What could
    these actions mean?
    Mythological/ Archetypal Theory

    Introduction:

    The Mythological /Archetypal approach is based on the idea that every story is a retelling
    or reflection on one of the great stories from the “collective unconscious,” or the combined
    knowledge of humankind, such as The Bible and the ancient Greek and Roman myths. This
    approach looks at characters from books as versions of heroes like Odysseus (called arche-
    types) and the plots as versions of stories like The Fall of Adam and Eve.

    Questions for a Mythological/ Archetypical Reading:

    1. Which characters are the heroes of the story? Do they remind you of heroes from
    The Bible or mythology?

    2. What is suggested by the setting (time of day, season of the year, location—garden,
    body of water, etc.), that might suggest an archetypal reading?

    3. What types of symbols are used? What do they represent?

    4. How are the symbols in this work different from the traditional use of those symbols?

    5. What myths are at work in different parts of this work? What features of the story are
    reminiscent of other stories you know?
    Homework:

    For homework, ask students to write a paragraph about a book, story, or play that they’ve read
    earlier in the year from the perspective of one of the theories that they studied in class today.

    Standards:

    Common Core State Standards


    Reading Literature
    Key Ideas and Details: 9-10.1-3
    Craft and Structure 9-10.6

    Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills


    §110.31 (b) (2)

    Sources:

    Grudzina, Douglas (ed). Multiple Critical Perspectives (Series). Clayton, DE. Publisher:
    Prestwick House, Inc.

    Cuddon, J.A. (ed). Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory. London, England.
    Publisher: Penguin, 1998.

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