LITERARY CRITICISM

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CRITCISM

BY: PAULA EARECKA A. DIESMO

OBJECTIVES

 Review literature studies focusing on literary genres;

 Define literary criticism and identify its purposes;
 Differentiate significant terms related to literary criticism; and
 Show interest in acquiring a deeper understanding of texts through literary
criticism.
PURPOSE AND BENEFITS OF LITERATURE
STUDIES
1. LITERATURE EXPOSES US TO OTHER CULTURE
2. TO APPRECIATE WHY INDIVIDUALS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE
3. LITERATURE ENHANCES OUR CRITICAL AND ANNALYTICAL THINKING SKILLS
4. TO EXPAND OUR GRASP OF MACHINATIONS OF HISTORY
5. LITERATURE MAKES YOU MORE EMPATHIC
6. TO HELP US TO SEE OURSELVES AS OTHER DO
7. TO EXERCISE OUR BRAINS
8. LITERATURE EXPANDS YOUR KNOWLEDGE
REVIEW ON LITERARY GENRES

1. FICTION- a made-up or imagined story.

2. NONFICTION- an account of a subject which is presented as fact. It includes
essays, articles, textbooks, manuals, encyclopaedias, etc.
3. SCIENCE FICTION- fiction that lies between realistic fiction and pure fantasy. Sci-fi
is usually based on scientific laws, the author’s knowledge of technological
possibilities, and the psychological nature of humans.
4. FOLK TALE- folk tales are stories that have been passed down over the years by
word of mouth. Many different cultures have folk tales similar themes, motifs, and
character types, Fairy tales, fables, tall tales, and myths are different types of
folk tales.
5. LEGEND- story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact bit
also include imaginative material.
REVIEW ON LITERARY GENRES

6. BIOGRAPHY- Nonfiction that chronicles a person’s life story but is written by

another person.
7. AUTOBIOGRAPHY- non-fiction account of a person’s life written by that person.
It may include just one important event or it may include an entire life story.
8. DRAMA- fiction or non-fiction stories composed in verse or prose, usually for
theatrical performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through
dialogue and action.
9. HUMOR- fiction or non-fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to
entertain; but can be contained in all genres.
REVIEW OF LITERARY TECHNIQUES

1. ALLITERATION-The repetition of consonant sounds within close proximity,

usually in consecutive words within the same sentence or line.
Ex. “the slippery snake slithered past the slippery slide.”
2. ANTAGONIST: Counterpart to the main character and source of a story’s main
conflict. The person may not be “bad” or “evil” by any conventional moral
standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a significant way
3. PROTAGONIST: The main character in a story, the one with whom the reader
is meant to identify. The person is not necessarily “good” by any conventional
moral standard, but he/she is the person in whose plight the reader is most
invested
REVIEW OF LITERARY TECHNIQUES

4. MOOD: The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within

the setting
Ex. The mood of Macbeth is dark, murky and mysterious, creating a
sense of fear and uncertainty.
5. THEME-The main idea or message conveyed by the piece. A theme is generally
stated as a complete sentence; an idea expressed as a single word or
fragmentary phrase is a motif.
Ex. Orwell’s theme is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The idea
that human beings are essentially brutal, savage creatures provides the central
theme of the novel
REVIEW OF LITERARY TECHNIQUES

6. TONE-The apparent emotional state of the speaker/narrator/narrative voice,

as conveyed through the language of the piece.
Ex. The poem has a bitter and sardonic tone, revealing the speaker’s
anger and resentment.
7. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE -Any use of language where the intended meaning
differs from the actual literal meaning of the words themselves. There are many
techniques which can rightly be called figurative language, including metaphor,
simile, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia, verbal irony, and oxymoron.
REVIEW OF LITERARY TECHNIQUES

8. STRUCTURE: The manner in which the various elements of a story are

assembled.
Ex. The individual tales are told within the structure of the larger
framing story, where the 29 travelers gather at the Inn at Southwark on their
journey to Canterbury, telling stories to pass the time.
INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CRITICISM

WHAT IS LITERARY CRITCISM?

Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of
literature. This includes the classification by genre, analysis of structure, and
judgement of value.
Literary criticism asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is worth. It is
the method used to interpret any given work of literature. The different schools
of literary criticism provide us with lenses which ultimately reveal important
aspects of the literary work.
Literary criticism helps readers understand a text in relation to the author,
culture, and other text.
 Purposes of Literary Criticism

 Literary criticism helps us to understand the relationship between authors,

readers, and texts.
 The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances the enjoyment of our reading
of the literary work.
 Literary criticism helps us to understand what is important about the text
 its structure
 its context: social, economic, historical
 what is written
 how the text manipulates the reader
Literary Discussion vs. Literary Analysis
vs. Literary Interpretation
LITERARY DISCUSSION LITERARY ANALYSIS LITERARY
INTERPRETATION
•Literature discussion •Literary analysis means •Interpretation is an
groups help readers closely studying a text, explicit argument about a
develop and practice interpreting its meanings, text’s deeper meanings—
these skills. The overall and exploring why the its implied themes,
objectives are for author made certain values, and assumptions.
students to deepen their choices. It can be applied It pays special attention
comprehension skills, to novels, short stories, to the text’s
construct meaning plays, poems, or any contradictions, tensions,
together as a group, other form of literary and ambiguities.
debate and challenge writing. Interpretation also
each other, and recognizes how the
ultimately connect with cultural context of the
books on a deeper level text and the reader might
influence our interpretive
conclusions