MOST COMMON OR POPULAR CRITICAL THEORIES/PERSPECTIVES.

 MOST COMMON OR POPULAR CRITICAL THEORIES/PERSPECTIVES.

 

                                                 i.    Feminist

                                                ii.    Marxist

                                               iii.    Reader response

                                               iv.    New Criticism or New Historicism

 

 

1.  FEMINIST THEORY/PERSPECTIVE

i.             The basic of the feminist movement, both in literature and politics, is that western culture is fundamentally patriarchal (gender) i.e. created by men controlled  by men view through the eyes of men, and evaluated by men. The 1960’s saw the rise of the new feminist approach to literary criticism.

ii.            Feminist in general in literature is considered as written displine it implies different theories in examine patriarchy ideology and traditional in general.

 

three major areas of study and point of existing in the feminist theory

i.             Different between men and women.

·         one basic assumption of the feminist perspective is that gender determines everything includes values and the ways language is used.

·         The canon of literature printed, marketed and taught in schools must be expanded to includes a study of genres in which women tradition by write Journals, diaries and person letters.

 

ii.            Women in position of power and Power Dynamics between Men and women.

Any evidence of the social, economic and political exploitation of women must note and confronted. The feminist critic checks the work to see whether female characters have power and what type power might be.

 

iii.           The female experiences.

·         Feminist critic rejects any application of male standard to the female personality. The female personality must be judge independently from the male personality and vice versa.

·         Feminist critics examine and celebrate all portrayals of the creative, life giving a role of feminist. Women have traditional been portrayed as depended on men but feminists points out that men are dependant on women for humanity most basic need –birthing children. All evidence of feminine nurture, healing life giving and restoring are examined.

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTION FOR FEMINIST READING.

i.             What stereo type of the women are depicted in the text?

ii.            Are female characters over simplified? Weak? Foolish? Excessively naïve?(ability to think more)

iii.           If the female characters have any power. What kind is it political? Economical? Social? Psychological?

 

Examples of feminist aspects in PARCHED EARTH

(a)         Socially

·         Women as mother and care of the family

·         Marriage based family

 

(b)        Biologically

·         Development of women conscious (from unconscious to conscious).

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ANALYSING LITERARY WORKS USING DEFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

 ANALYSING LITERARY WORKS USING DEFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

 

 Perspectives; means a way of looking at something by using mind.

Critical Perspective; is a way of criticising or analysing literature.

Your Critical Perspective; is the view you bring to the literature you read.

 

 

how and why did literature theories develop?

(a) It allows that different people will approach the same literary text differently. One person may be offended by characters an action while another is finds them comic (comedy characters).

 

(b) One reader is energized (interest by political) by a stories political implication while another is awed by a some story’s philosophical bent. Eg, from the crooked rib.

 

(c)   Literary theories emerged (to look literary for different views) as ways to explain different people’s view and responses to literature. Rather than insisting that one view is the bets or correct view.

 

 

benefits of studying a word from more than one critical perspective.

 

(a) One of the views is likely to affirm your perspective and speak to what you see in the literature you are studying.

(b) Studying a view different from yours not to disagree with it, but to understand it help you understand those who hold that view.

(c)  Studying a work from more than one view gives you a differ understanding of the authors work and appreciation for the richness of it.

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Figurative Language

 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

          Refers to the imaginative language which is not direct but in-direct differs from normal language. It is characterised by using figures of speech.

 

FIGURES OF SPEECH

(a) Simile; is the comparison of two unlike entities by using conjunction/words like such as, as…..as, as, so that. Eg, life is like a dream.

 

(b) Metaphor; is a comparison of unlike entities person or situation without using words includes such as like, as…..as, resemble. Eg, life is a dream. He is a snake.

 

(c)  Personification; refers to an explanation in which non-human beings or creatures are given human characteristics or behaviours. Eg, the rain ate all the tree in our village.

 

(d) Apostrophe; is an explanation in which a person addresses an absent or dead human being or non-human creature as if they can hear or replay.             Eg,    Amanda my dear wife,

the dead never come back home,

but at least once in life,

they visit us in dream.

 

(e) Symbolism; is an explanation or words where an entities in a work of art refers to the different entities or situation.

Eg, in a poem YOUR PAIN by Armand (G)

          Blood _ symbolises _ Sacrifice

          Scars _ symbolises _ Oppression

 

(f)   Hyperbole (overstatement) or Exaggeration; is the literary technique which involve saying something which is more serious than it actual is.

Eg, she gave me five millions of kisses. You possess my heart.

 

(g) Litotes (understatement); is a literary that involve saying something less serious than it actual is. Eg, I have ten millions for my own lunch today.

Don’t fear, only five people were killed.

 

(h) Irony; is a literary technique in which one thing mean the opposite of what is said or what is happen is quite different from what is expected.

Eg, Juma is intelligent boy but he score 0 marks of a hundred.

 

(i)   Sarcasm; is a statement given for a purpose of hunting or humiliate someone to make him/her unhappy or angry. Eg, Guy your hair is well combed and looks good.

 

(j)   Rhetorical Question; is a statement in form of question which needs no replay asked.

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Style or Point of View in literature

 STYLE

Refers to the way an author to represents his/her work in a miner that makes him/her work different from other authors. It is the individually of the author. Style is achieved through the choice of vocabulary, the use of certain figures of speech, oral literary devices such as Idioms, Proverbs and songs.

 

POINT OF VIEW

          Is an angle in which a story is told. It is divided into three parts.

I.             First point of view

II.           Third point of view

III.         Omniscient point of view

 

First point of view; this is when the narrator is identified by the use of pronoun I or We.

 

Third point of view; this is when the narrator is affected by means of the pronouns he/she and they.

Omniscient point of view; it means all knowing an omniscient narrator is God like in knowledge because he/she has even ability to know the thoughts of characters.

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Characters in Literature

 CHARACTERISATION  

is the process of giving attributes to characters. the way an artist present and reveal characters.

character: is a person or thing that is given a role to play in a literary work.

Types of character

i)             Major/main characters, Is the character who dominate literary work, He/she is found from beginning to the end of the novels or play.

ii)            Miner character, is the character who assist the main character to convey the message.

iii)           Static character, Is the doesn’t change behaviour in the work of art. Is also known as conservatic character.

iv)          Dynamic character, is the character who changes behaviour very easily. Is also called flexible character.

v)            Flat character, is the character who is one dimensional that appear and disappear in  the story.

 

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Dramatic or Element of Plot structure

 Element of plot structure or Dramatic structure of plot

The analysis is called Freytag’s analysis (Gustar Freytag 1816-1895)

German Dramatist and Novelist.

1.    Exposition

2.    Rising action

3.    Climax

4.    Falling action

5.    Resolution

 

climax

                             rising action

                                                                        falling action

                   exposition                                                     resolution

 

          Where.

Exposition – this is the introduction of the story, back ground information that ones need to understand it. This information can includes Protagonist, Antagonist, the setting and so forth.

Rising Action – is what occurs leading up to the climax. It is the part of Dramatic Action that has to do with complication. This part begins as opposing Idea or group come into conflict and proceeds to the climax.

Climax – is considered as turning point of the action. It most exciting part of the story, this where all rising action and conflict building up in the finally reaches the peak. It is usually the moment of greatest danger or decision making for the Protagonist.

Falling Action – deals with events which occurs right after the climax. This events are usually after effects of the climax.

Resolution – is the end of falling action and the conclusion of the story.

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Most definitions in Literature

 Important definitions in literature

i.             Prose

Is organised in sentences and paragraphs and does not have a regular rhythm. Or is non-poetry or literary works.

 

ii.            Fiction

Is a prose writing that tells about imagery character and events (incidents).

 

iii.           Non fiction

Is a prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places or events.

 

iv.           Setting

Is the imaginary place and time of the action.

 

v.            Conflict

In a story is the struggle between two opposing forces. It may be internal conflict or external conflict.

 

vi.           Fore shadowing

Is hinting at what is to come. It allow an author to prepare the reader for what is about to happen and gives the reader chance to take part in the story by predicting what will happen without actually having being told about it. Example; the wreck of the Hesperus

 

vii.          Plot

Is the arrangement or organisation of events (incidences) in a novel or play. It might be chronological plot if the events are arranged in order or series basing the way they occur. Also it may be flash back if the events are not arranged in chronologically that is when the events are arranged in such away the last incident is placed first.

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