Literary Criticisms
Formalist Literary Criticism
analyses
Elements of fiction
how elements of fiction create a work of text as a unit
examples include
unity of plot, theme and characters
point of view
imagery
obstacles
ignores the intentions of the authour
helps with
giveing readers a better comprehension of the importance of elements of fiction/how they work together to create coherent media
believes that
all elements of fiction work together to create a quality work
Feminist Literary Criticism
analyses
how women are portrayed in media/feminine roles in literature
how gender norms and social expectations have influenced the way femininity is represented
helps with
bringing a new social point of view into light and focusing on a marginalised group
obstacles
can be limiting when it is the only theory applied
influenced by
patriarchies
which are
social systems in which men have power/privilege and women are marginalized due to social norms and prejudice
an example
afghanistan is a patriarchal society
women's rights movements
which are
political movements that fight for women's perspectives to be heard and gender equity
stereotypes/social norms
which are
expectations from society which generalize specific groups of people
Post-Colonialism Literary Criticism
influenced by
Western dominance
how western culture influnces other cultures on a global scale (specifically through colinization)
Hegemony
the dominance that one country or nation has over others in a social group
an example
USA is an example of an economical hegemony
Eurocentrism
the focus of European culture and countries with a disregard for other global perspectives
Cultural assimilation
the process in which a minority culture loses it's own identity and assimilates to the standards of a majority culture
analyses
how colonization has affected the way different cultures are portrayed through media
literature produced by cultures that have been colonized
literature produced by colonial powers and how texts about colonization is different from their perspective
helps with
exploring a cultural perspective to media that was often ignored in past history
obstacles
can be limiting when it is the only theory applied
Archetypal Literary Theory
inspired by
Carl Jung
Joseph Campbell
Northorp Frye
analyses
Patterns in litterature
recurring symbols or images that are seen through all forms of media that represent different motifs
light is often used to represent innocence while darkness is used to symbolize immorality
Common figures
character tropes that are often used in texts used throughought centuries
the hero's journey is a common trope that fits archetypal plot framework
believes that
all forms of media or litterature follow similar patterns or rules that fall into basic plot structure
helps with
observing how certain objects frequently symbolize different things and comparing historical influences on images seen throughought texts
obstacles
limits reader’s personal interpretations/school of thought and gnores other criticisms