Criticism

There is currently a growing body of research in postcolonial criticism and analysis of Renaissance literature. Inspired by efforts to decolonize the canon, I am interested in studying the roots of colonialism in the Renaissance and its influence on the modern world. In my second year of undergraduate study, I was introduced to postcolonial literature and theory in an introductory course with Dr. Stanka Radović. Reading polemic texts, as well as ‘subalterns’ writing back or breaking away from…

Hermeneutical Method and Exegetical Paper Literary Criticism is a hermeneutical method which pays close attention to the structure of the text. One of the first question which should be asked when conducting a literary criticism is what genre does the text fall into? When performing a literary criticism as a hermeneutical method, it is also important to establish the pericope of the text as it is extremely unlikely and impractical that a literary criticism would be written about the entire…

feminist theory is always adapting to new cultures and always changing. What stems from the feminist theory is feminist literary criticism “feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (Critical Theory Today, 4 Feminist Criticism, pg. 79 Tyson, Louis). This theory shows us how patriarchal our society is and that’s how Susan Glaspell’s shows her work in her…

through term “Criticism” author refers to what, by the 1960’s was certainly the most commonly practiced in form of scholarship. More importantly, Outside of literary studies, “literary criticism” is more likely to mean some form of evaluation and “criticism” unmodified has the primarily negative sense of fault-finding. The last anthology we will consider, published in 1987, is entitled Feminist issues in literary scholarship. The word “scholarship” in the title replaces the ambiguous “criticism”…

in society since it is a way of knowing. It is a medium used to teach individuals how to make sense of the world around them. Not only does literature reflect society's values and beliefs, but it also plays a role in shaping it. Feminist literary criticism aims to bring the reader’s attention to how women are presented in literature. It makes them question how a male author would present a female character and whether this was due to a patriarchal…

The Formalist Approach Formalism is a type of criticism that allows a reader to review a certain text or piece of literature but you only focus on the literary elements throughout the piece such as: diction, irony, metaphors, symbolism, paradoxes, etc. But like all approaches to literature or anything in life, there are pros and cons. Some good things about formalism is that it gives you an idea of the author’s intent, helps the reader understand figurative language, literary devices, and more…

Critical Analysis Considered to be India’s greatest epic, there are few uninspired by the Mahabharata. But, the Mahabharata is also a narrative which has its own share of criticisms. A very noticeable aspect is the double standard held by many formidable characters such as Bhīma, Drona, Arjuna, and many others. While there is no doubt that the good they performed certainly outweighs the evil it is important that they not be portrayed as infallible- for legends as they are, they are also human.…

The criticism of NAFTA has been prominent in the last eight years. It started with the campaigns run by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, when both criticized such an agreement and often referred to it as a failure. Most recently the president of the United States has also described it as such. However, there’s a very important narrative being erased from the conversation and that is how NAFTA impacted Mexico in a negative way. In a way that did not impact the other two nations. As Barack Obama…

wrote, “Mrs. Hawthorne’s Headache: Reading The Scarlet Letter” However, I am also sure that my response to what he has written would not be what he expected. This reader, writer relationship is one of the first ideas he touches on in his literary criticism, and it is one I understood easily. As I read, I was taken back by how many ideas and concepts I had seemingly missed during my initial reading of The Scarlet Letter. Though I attempted to soak in everything Leverenz discussed, at the…

To truly understand every aspect of a story literary criticism must be applied. A literary critic is an individual that observes various forms of literature in the form of stories, plays, and poems. Willa Sibert Cather is the author of the short story called, “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament” and this story specifically applies to almost any literary theory. Cather provides an abundance of information that allows for literary criticism with the influence of the various types of literary…