Critical Strategies for Reading 2nd Notes

Critical Strategies for Reading Each of these perspectives is sensitive to point of view, symbol, tone, irony, and other literary elements, but each also casts those elements in a special light. Analysis – describes how a character, symbol, or rhyme scheme supports a theme Interpretation – your articulation of what the work means to you as supported by an analysis of its elements The appropriateness of a specific critical approach will depend, at least in part, on the nature of the literary work. Critical Theory Formalist Biographical General Features/ Questions to Ask Application to “The Story of an Hour” Focus on elements of a work. Literary features Care about what’s happening in the story How does diction reveals meaning How repeated words reinforce thematic significance Examine relationship with form and meaning Analyze ironic features Look for signs when imagery ends What is background info How does events in one’s life give new meaning to one’s story Husband died 12 yrs before she wrote story But, if she could get him back she would give up her growth Used to explain motives of character through unconscious though Unhappiness with marriage depicted through Mallard’s actions/lack of emotions Psychological What causes character to act? Do character’s actions reflect that of the author/reader? Historians goal is to shed light on the time period Historical Make connections to other literary writings in that time period Time Period shifts the tone Historical Reconstruction emphasizes on the struggles on that time period (ex. Woman Struggles) Marxist New Historicist Cultural How does the outside world affect the literary characters? What is the characters position in the world? How does a characters social class impact their conflicts? Challenge economic oppression against race, culture, and social class Protagonist’s conflicts -> part of a class struggle (big picture) Emphasize the context of a work and modern readers understanding and interpretation of the work. Background info ? Political, social, cultural concerns ? Medical records, without the awareness of how selfish and self destitute mrs.mallards impulses Social, political, and economic contexts of the culture Expressions and behaviors based on culture How different races, genders, and classes are treated within a culture Potential dangers and horrors of train travel in the 1890’s How heart disease was often misdiagnosed by physicians or used as a metaphor in Mrs. Mallard’s culture for a variety of emotional conditions What is masculine and feminine? Do women use language differently from Gender: Feminist, men? Gay and Lesbian Gender criticism expands categories to be more complex than just feminine and masculine. Mythological Reader-Response Mrs. Mallard’s repression or social injustices are part of a social revolution of the relations between men and women Psychological stress created by the expectations that marriage imposes on Mrs. Mallard. Did this have a universal response? Attempt to identify what creates deep universal responses in reader Attempt to explain how archetypes are embodied in literary works The transition from winter to spring symbolizes her new life (ironically, she dies; contrasting the new spring symbol) Focuses on the readers. Different readers may interpret it differently How we read and what influences our readings Social and cultural values influence Chopin doesn’t say her marriage is repressive, instead the reader figures it out through Mrs. Mallard’s conscience In 1894, reader may see it as her only escape from a repressive marriage in modern times marriage should have died rather than her Discovering and describing how a variety of possible readings are generated by the Deconstructionist elements of a text. The ending that the narrative shares the doctors inability to imagine a life for Mrs. mallard apart from her husband Mrs. Mallard’s death to her sense of lost personal freedom