Critical Perspectives

Feminist, Psychoanalytical, Mythological, Marxist, New

Historicism, Formalist, Biographical

FEMINIST CRITICAL THEORY

Three Main Points of Study Differences between men & women

› Assumption that gender determines everything

› Literary canon must be expanded to include “traditional” female dominant genres Journals Diaries Personal letters

› Note differences in topics/issues about which men & women write & the perspectives from which they write about them

Three Main Points of Study Women in power or power relationships

between men & women› Note the social, economic, and political exploitation

of women Do women have power and what type is it?

› Society’s treatment of all constituents with equality, and literature as a means b which inequities are identified, protested, & perhaps rectified

› Division of labor and economics between men & women

› Interaction between men & women with each other in variety of relationships Female subservience Political and economic equality

Three Main Points of Study The female experience

› Examine aspects of feminine life Point of view—from male or female POV Narrator’s (male or female) treatment of

events› Female personality stands independently

from male personality› Examine the creative and life-giving role of

femininity› Explore concept that men & women are

incomplete without each other

PSYCHOANALYTICALCRITICAL THEORY

View One: Main Points of Study

Examine conflicts, characters, dreams, symbols—similar to formalist approach

Character’s outward behavior› Conflict with inner desires› Reflect undiscovered inner desires

View One: Main Points of Study Examine any Oedipal connotations

› Son’s desire for mother› Father’s envy of and rivalry of son &

mother’s attention› Daughter’s desire for father (Electra

complex--Jung)› Mother’s envy of and rivalry of daughter &

father’s attention All operate on subconscious level to

avoid breaking serious social moré

View One: Main Points of Study Meaning of dreams: review Freud’s

Interpretation of Dreams In dreams, a person’s

subconscious desires are revealed› What a person cannot express due to

societal rules is expressed in dreams› People unaware until subconscious

operates unchecked in sleep

View One: Main Points of Study Subconscious—largest part of human

personality› Id: basic desire—no sense of conscience—inner

child—no guilt—demand immediate gratification

› Superego: opposite of id—sense of conscience—guilt—learned through parental instruction & societal rules

› Ego: balance of id & superego—desires of id filtered through superego—realizes id must be satisfied, but that there are socially acceptable ways to achieve that satisfaction

View Two: Main Points of Study Essential relationship exists between

author & the work—similar to biographical approach

Psychoanalysts argue that there is always something of the author in the work

This aspect of psychoanalytic view is subjective & a somewhat controversial approach

View Two: Main Points of Study What is known about author’s personality

is used to explain or interpret a literary work

Reference to a literary work establishes an understanding of the author’s mindset

Studying the work of an author means knowing the author as a person

Author may put his/her repressed desires in the work—pay attention to behaviors that aren’t socially “normal”

MYTHOLOGICAL/ARCHETYPALCRITICAL THEORY

Closely related to Psychoanalytical theory Archetypes developed by Jung, a student of

Freud Looking for symbols Humans were born innately knowing

certain archetypes› Evidence lies in the fact that some myths are

repeated throughout history in cultures and eras that could not have possibly had contact with one another

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Characters

› HERO Search for self-identity results in own destruction “orphaned” prince: ignorant of heritage until

rediscovered› SCAPEGOAT

Innocent character on whom blame is placed or assumes blame

Punished in place of guilty party—which is often society

› LONER/OUTCAST Separated from society Underdog Guilt-ridden figure in search of redemption

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Characters

› VILLAIN Personification of evil Unmotivated malice “Mad scientist” or bully

› TEMPTRESS Possesses what the male (HERO) desires & uses it as

means to his destruction› EARTH MOTHER

Nurturing, life-giving aspects of femininity› SAGE

Wise one, teacher, mentor Stern authority figure Oracle, prophet, sooth-sayer

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Images

› COLORS Red—blood, anger, passion, violence Gold—greatness, wealth, value Green—fertility, luxury, growth Blue—holiness, peace, serenity White—purity, divine, blessed

› NUMBERS 3 = Christian trinity; 4 = seasons; etc.

› WATER Source of life, sustenance, cleansing, purification, baptism

› FIRE Both protective & destructive Symbolizes human knowledge & industry

› FOUR ANCIENT ELEMENTS Fire, water, air, earth

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Images

› GARDENS Natural abundance, New birth, Hope, Eden

› SHAPES Triangle = trinity; circle = eternity

› CELESTIAL BODIES Sun: masculine—giver /destroyer of life Moon: feminine—passage of time/controls course of human

events—seedtime, harvest, etc.› MASCULINE: columns, towers, boats, trees, etc.› FEMININE: bodies of water, caves, doorways, windows› CAVES

Represents the womb & the grave, entrance to underworld› YIN & YANG: balance

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Situations

› QUEST Hero’s endeavor to fulfill destiny

› RENEWAL OF LIFE Death & rebirth; resurrection in cycle of

seasons or day› INITIATION

Coming of age; rites of passage› THE FALL

Loss of innocence; devolution of paradisiacal life to a tainted life

› REDEMPTIVE SACRIFICE: voluntary loss--life

Three Main Points of Study Archetypal Situations

› CATALOG OF TASKS i.e. labors of Hercules

› END OF THE WORLD Apocalyptic battle between good & evil Armageddon; Ragnarok; Great Flood

› TABOO Culturally forbidden act—incest, patricide,

etc.› BANQUET

Fellowship, nourishment of body & soul, symbol of salvation, Heaven

MARXIST CRITICAL THEORY

Based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist.

“Dialectical Materialism” Major argument was that the means of

production in society controlled the society—whoever owned the factories “owned” the culture.

The means of production (i.e., the basis of society) would be placed in the hands of the masses who actually operated production, not in the hands those few who owned it.

MARXIST CRITICAL THEORY

Marxism asserts that literature is a reflection of culture and that culture can be affected by literature. (Marxists believed literature could instigate revolution.)

Marxism is linked to Freudian theories by its concentration on the subconscious Freud dealt with the individual subconscious, while Marx

dealt with the political subconscious. Marx believed that oppression exists in the

political subconscious of a society—social pecking orders are inherent to any group of people.

Four Main Points of Study Economic Power

› A society is shaped by its forces of production. Those who own the means of production dictate

› Two main classes of society according to the Marxist framework Bourgeoisie (the people with the means of production and wealth) Proletariat (the people who operate the means of production and are

controlled by the bourgeoisie).› Since the bourgeoisie own the means of production, and,

therefore, the money in a society, they can manipulate politics, government, education, art, and the media.

› Capitalism is bad because it makes people want things. people shop for commodification (wanting things not for their innate

usefulness but for their social value). When one has money, one shows it by buying things—jewelry, large houses, fancy cars, etc.

› Commodification is one way the bourgeoisie keep the proletariat down. When the proletariat manage to gain some sort of status symbol, the

bourgeoisie buy something newer and better, thus making the proletariat struggle more.

Four Main Points of Study

Materialism v. Spirituality› Society is not based on ideals or

abstractions, but on things.› The material world shows us reality.

The material world is the only non-subjective element in a society.

Money and material possessions are the same by every measure within a society, whereas spirituality is completely subjective.

› People are not destroyed by spiritual failure, only material failure.

Four Main Points of Study Class Conflict

› Any Capitalist society will be at odds between classes.› The owners and the workers will have different ideas about

the division of the wealth generated, and the owners will ultimately make the decision.

› This constant conflict, or “dialectical materialism,” is what instigates change. Commodification is one way the bourgeoisie keep the proletariat down.

› The bourgeoisie make the system seem like the only logical one, so the proletariat are trapped. They are led to have pride in their station, thus preventing them from

wanting to overthrow their bosses (the smaller and actually less-powerful group).

› Marx called on the proletariat to reject the social structure of the bourgeoisie, the rules that would keep them subservient forever, and form their own values. Such a course would be the only way to escape the oppression, for the

proletariat could never defeat the bourgeoisie on its own terms. For the workers to win, they’d have to establish new terms.

Four Main Points of Study Art, Literature, and Ideologies

› Art and literature are vehicles for the bourgeoisie to instill their value system on the proletariat. The arts can make the current system look attractive and

logical, thus luring the workers into complacency.› Works of art and literature are enjoyable to

experience, so the audience is unaware of being swayed, which is dangerous.

› The bourgeoisie can easily take control of artistic output because they are the entity that is funding it. Since the bourgeoisie are bankrolling the writers and the

painters by publishing the books and buying the art, the artist must take pains not to offend them.

Anything that is offensive to the bourgeoisie will simply not be published or sold.

› Any artist who wishes to criticize the bourgeoisie must do so in a subtle way (satire, irony, etc.).

NEW HISTORICISM CRITICAL THEORY

New Historicism asserts that a direct comparison between the culture as presented in the text and as that culture really was is impossible for two reasons: First, the “truth” of a foreign or past culture can never be

known as established and unchangeable.• “Unknown” histories often contradict “traditional” (i.e., the

winner’s) history, there is no way to really know the ironclad truth.

Second, while the text under consideration does indeed reflect the culture in which it was written (and to some degree in which it is set), it also participates in the culture in which it is written.• In other words, its very existence changes the culture it

“reflects.”

Main Points of Study

Traditional history is, by its nature, a subjective narrative, usually told from the point of view of the powerful. › The “losers” of history do not have the

means to write their stories, nor is there usually an audience interested in hearing them.

› Most cultures, once dominated by another, are forced to forget their past.

› To maintain its sovereignty, the dominant culture simply does not allow the old, defeated culture to be remembered.

Main Points of Study

Traditional history is not only subjectively written, it is also read and discussed subjectively.› Although modern readers say they

take history at face value, no one can help but compare the past to the present as a means of understanding it, which makes it subjective.

Main Points of Study

The powerless also have “historical stories” to relate that are not to be found in official documents, mostly because they played no hand in creating them.

No reader can claim to have the “truth” of a text or event; or even that an understanding of the “truth” is possible. At best, one can acknowledge the “truth” of a particular point of view.

Main Points of Study

The questions to ask are not: › “Were the characters based on real people?” › “Are any characters or events in the text drawn

from the author’s life and experiences?” or › “Is the text an accurate portrayal of the time

period in which it is set?”

Instead, ask:› “What view or understanding of the relevant

culture does this text offer?” and › “How does this text contribute to or shape the

understanding of the culture it represents?”

Main Points of Study

The text, rather than being a static artifact of a definable culture, is a participant in a dynamic, changeable culture.› Every time it is read, the reader brings a

unique set of experiences and points of view that change the meaning of the text, however slightly.