Introduction to Literary Criticism (Lecture)
1. What is Literary Criticism?
• Definition: The analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary texts.
• Purpose: Understanding meaning, themes, structure, and cultural/historical context.
2. Key Approaches to Literary Criticism
• Formalism/New Criticism – Focus on structure, language, and form.
• Marxist Criticism – Literature as a reflection of class struggles and ideology.
• Psychoanalytic Criticism – Influence of psychology (Freudian/Lacanian) on texts and characters.
• Structuralism and Post-Structuralism – Examining deep structures and questioning meaning (Derrida, Barthes).
• Feminist and Gender Criticism – Representation of gender and power dynamics.
• Postcolonial Criticism – Colonial and neocolonial themes in literature.
• Reader-Response Criticism – Emphasis on the reader’s interpretation.
3. How to Apply Literary Criticism
• Choosing an approach based on the text’s themes and context.
• Asking critical questions: Who speaks? What is emphasized? What is omitted?
• Engaging with secondary sources and critical essays.
4. The Role of Literary Criticism in Academia
• Enhancing textual understanding.
• Encouraging critical thinking and debate.
• Connecting literature to broader cultural, historical, and philosophical ideas.