What is Literary Criticism?
Summary
TLDRThis video script explores the concept of literary criticism as a multifaceted approach to analyzing literature. It likens literary criticism to viewing a mannequin from various angles, each revealing different aspects. The script clarifies misconceptions about criticism, emphasizing its role in enhancing appreciation of literature rather than detracting from it. It introduces the idea that literary criticism involves close attention to detail, which can be positive, and that different critical theories offer unique perspectives, like travel agencies guiding tourists. The speaker also addresses the common student misconception of seeking a 'right answer' in literature, advocating for supported arguments and personal theories that enrich one's reading experience.
Takeaways
- 📚 Literary criticism is about examining literature from various perspectives, much like viewing different parts of a mannequin to understand its entirety.
- 🤔 The definition of 'literature' is complex and can encompass a wide range of texts, including those found in everyday experiences.
- 🔍 Criticism in literary criticism does not necessarily imply negativity; it is about paying close attention to details, both positive and negative.
- 🌟 Literary criticism can enhance the enjoyment of literature by revealing the craftsmanship, historical context, and other layers of meaning.
- 🎨 For some students, literary criticism might initially seem to detract from the fun of reading, but it ultimately enriches the experience.
- 🏛 Steven Lin's book 'Text and Context' offers a metaphor comparing literature to travel, with literary criticism acting as a guide to explore new worlds.
- 🧳 Different critical theories are likened to travel agencies, each offering a unique perspective on the literature being studied.
- 🚫 There is no single 'right answer' in literary criticism; instead, there is a spectrum of valid interpretations based on different theories and interests.
- 💡 Even without intending to, readers inherently apply some form of theory when they make judgments about what they read and enjoy.
- 📈 The value of a literary criticism piece depends on its ability to support an argument and provide a useful perspective, regardless of personal preference.
- 🎓 Students of literature are encouraged to explore various theories and develop their own criteria for literary appreciation beyond personal emotions.
Q & A
What is the main focus of literary criticism?
-The main focus of literary criticism is to examine literature from different perspectives, highlighting how the interpretation of a text can vary significantly based on the viewpoint from which it is analyzed.
What is the definition of 'literature' in the context of literary criticism?
-In the context of literary criticism, 'literature' is not strictly defined and can encompass a wide range of texts, including poetry, novels, and even experiences that provide cultural or societal insights, much like reading a basketball game.
What is the common misconception about the term 'criticism' in literary criticism?
-The common misconception is that 'criticism' is always negative, pointing out flaws. However, in literary criticism, it refers to a detailed analysis that can be positive, focusing on both the successful and meaningful aspects of a text as well as its flaws.
How can literary criticism enhance the appreciation of literature?
-Literary criticism can enhance the appreciation of literature by allowing readers to discover the depth and richness of a text, including its craftsmanship, historical context, and other layers of meaning that might not be immediately apparent.
Why might some students initially dislike literary criticism?
-Some students might initially dislike literary criticism because they feel it removes the enjoyment or fun from literature by over-analyzing and dissecting the text, which can seem to complicate the reading experience.
What does Steven Lin compare literature to in his book 'Text and Context'?
-Steven Lin compares literature to travel, suggesting that reading a book is like entering a new world, and literary criticism is akin to hiring a tour guide to show you where to go and what to see in that new place.
What is the role of different critical theories in literary criticism?
-Different critical theories in literary criticism act like travel agencies, offering different perspectives and focuses for the reader to explore, leading to varied interpretations and appreciations of a text.
What problem does the concept of 'the right answer' pose in literary criticism?
-The concept of 'the right answer' poses a problem in literary criticism because it implies a single correct interpretation, whereas in reality, literary criticism is more about a spectrum of valid interpretations based on different perspectives and interests.
What does the speaker suggest about having a theory when reading literature?
-The speaker suggests that no matter how one approaches literature, they inherently have a theory, even if they claim not to. This theory influences their enjoyment and judgments about the text, whether it is consciously recognized or not.
What is the speaker's approach to accepting different answers in literary criticism from students?
-The speaker accepts a variety of different answers in literary criticism from students, as long as the arguments are supported and are useful, emphasizing the importance of evidence and relevance over a predetermined 'right answer'.
What is the purpose of the speaker's upcoming videos?
-The purpose of the speaker's upcoming videos is to provide a brief overview of different types of critical theories in literary criticism, allowing viewers to become familiar with the various approaches to analyzing literature.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Literary Criticism
This paragraph introduces the concept of literary criticism as a multifaceted approach to analyzing literature. It emphasizes the importance of perspective, using the metaphor of viewing different parts of a mannequin to illustrate how varying viewpoints can change interpretation. The speaker defines 'literature' as a broad term that encompasses various forms of text, and 'criticism' as a detailed analysis that can be positive or negative. The paragraph also addresses common misconceptions about literary criticism, explaining that it can enhance the enjoyment of literature by revealing its deeper layers, much like understanding the craftsmanship behind a piece of art. The comparison of literary criticism to hiring a tour guide in a museum is used to highlight how it can guide readers to a richer understanding of the text.
🔍 The Role of Theory in Literary Criticism
The second paragraph delves into the inherent subjectivity in literary criticism, noting that every reader brings their own theory or perspective to the text, even if they are not consciously aware of it. The speaker uses the example of a student who judges a book by whether it makes her cry to illustrate how personal criteria can form a simple theory of enjoyment. The paragraph also introduces the idea that there are many different theories in literary criticism, and while some may not appeal to every reader, being familiar with a variety of them can enhance one's understanding and appreciation of literature. The speaker promises to provide an overview of different critical theories in upcoming videos, encouraging viewers to subscribe for further exploration of the topic.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Literary Criticism
💡Perspective
💡Literature
💡Critique
💡Enrichment
💡Art Museum Metaphor
💡Craftsmanship
💡Historical Context
💡Critical Theories
💡Travel Guide Metaphor
💡Validity
💡Personal Theory
Highlights
Literary criticism is a perspective-based approach to analyzing literature.
Different angles of viewing can significantly alter the interpretation of a subject, as illustrated with the example of Rhiannon.
Literature encompasses a wide range of texts, including poetry, novels, and even experiences beyond traditional written works.
Criticism in literary criticism is not inherently negative but involves close attention to detail, including both flaws and successes.
Literary criticism can enhance the enjoyment and understanding of literature by revealing its underlying elements.
Students may initially resist literary criticism, fearing it diminishes the fun of literature, but it can actually enrich the experience.
Understanding art and literature is enriched by knowledge, similar to how knowing about a painting can deepen appreciation in an art museum.
Steven Lin's book 'Text and Context' offers a metaphor comparing literature to travel and literary criticism to hiring a tour guide.
Different critical theories provide various perspectives, akin to travel agencies catering to different interests.
Literary criticism allows for a range of interpretations rather than a single 'right answer'.
The validity of a literary criticism depends on its ability to be supported by evidence and its usefulness.
Even without intending to, readers inherently apply some form of theory when approaching literature.
Personal enjoyment or emotional response can serve as a simple but valid theory for judging literature.
Expanding one's perspective on literature can lead to a deeper appreciation and understanding of texts.
Students are encouraged to explore and support their own interpretations in literary criticism.
Upcoming videos will provide an overview of various literary theories to familiarize viewers with different approaches.
Transcripts
hello and welcome today we are talking
about literary criticism
now literary criticism is a way of
looking at literature it's all about
perspective really things look very
different if you look at them from
different angles for example this is
Rhiannon from one side this is a close
shot of Rhiannon's profile this is
Rhiannon's eye this is the underside of
Rhiannon's face these are Rhiannon's
toes
this is Rhiannon's mists match hand this
is a shot of Rihanna's hair all these
shots are technically of my mannequin
and yet they all look very different
they all focus on different aspects of
her and from different perspectives
first of all let's talk about what the
words literary criticism mean literary
has to do with literature but what is
literature anyway that's a complicated
question and not when I have time to
really fully address people have used
lots of synonyms including text but text
can really mean almost anything you want
it to mean I could read a piece of
poetry and that would be a text I could
read a novel and that would be a text
but I could also go to a basketball game
and read the basketball game in some
ways and gain understanding about the
team about the culture about really
anything and that would be a reading the
second word criticism has to do with the
idea of critique we sometimes associate
the word criticism with something
negative if I'm criticizing you then I'm
probably pointing out your flaws but
it's not necessarily being negative so
much as it is paying close attention to
detail I might be paying attention to
which details or flaws but I might also
be paying attention to which details are
successful and meaningful so literary
criticism can be very positive I might
be breaking apart a poem or a novel or a
play and in so doing I discover all
kinds of wonderful things about it and
I'm able to more richly enjoy it now a
lot of students when they first discover
literary criticism may not like it
because they feel like it takes the
enjoyment the fun out of literature but
really when you come to appreciate
literary criticism it helps to enrich
the literature for you it helps you to
appreciate it more let's put it this way
if you go into an art museum and you
look around at all the paintings and you
don't know what any of them are or what
any of them are about or anything like
that
you'll probably get bored
quickly they might look pretty but
you'll lose interest after a while but
if you know something about art you know
something about how these pieces of art
were accomplished there's a lot more to
see it's the same way with any piece of
art or literature I can read a poem and
the poem can be meaningful to me in its
content I can read a novel and the novel
could be meaningful to me in its content
but when I can also understand the
beauty of its craftsmanship the
historical context and a lot of other
issues I can appreciate it much more
richly and deeply Steven Lin in his book
text and context gives a wonderful
overview of literary criticism in his
introduction he compares literature to
travel which isn't a very big stretch of
a metaphor after all when you read a
book it's like entering into a new world
experiencing something vicariously
through the book but he goes on to
extend that metaphors literary criticism
he says literary criticism is like
hiring a tour guide it shows you where
to go and what to see in that new place
that you've traveled to and by further
extension different critical theories
are like travel agencies I don't know if
you've ever traveled but if you have you
might have had this experience you want
a travel agency that is going to take
you places and to see things that are
interesting to you I would not be very
interested in going and tasting all the
fancy restaurants of Europe but I would
be very interested in the art and in the
literature that I find in Europe if I go
see the opera houses and the theatres in
Paris and another person goes and visits
the fashion district we've both seen and
experienced Paris however we've
experienced it from very different
perspectives the same is true with
literary criticism if I have a novel and
I want to read it using one particular
theory I can get a very rich
understanding out of it whereas another
person can pick it up and read it from a
different theory and come to completely
different appreciation of it this does
however pose a little bit of a problem a
lot of students come to the study of
literature looking for the right answer
and the thing is there really isn't a
right answer there's more of a continuum
of answers to be fair and from certain
perspectives some answers are more valid
and some answers are less valid let's
say I wanted to study the play Hamlet
and I'm
in the economic implications of the play
because I'm interested in how this vine
for power in Denmark affects the economy
well obviously that's not the central
aspect of the play but it is an
interesting reading if that's my
interest I might also take a reading
that Hamlet is actually a symbol for a
giant whale that is very unlikely and
actually not particularly helpful could
I write such a piece of literary
criticism
yes but who would read it on the other
end just because I may not like a
certain deconstructive theory and I
prefer this particular feminist theory
that may not mean that the
deconstructive theory is less valid it's
just not very interesting to me for my
own students I accept all kinds of
different answers really the question
boils down to can you support your
argument and is your argument useful for
something as long as you come up with a
good answer that you can support don't
just wait around for me to tell you what
the right answer is very likely I'm not
going to one more important point to
make no matter how you read literature
you're going to have something of a
theory when you approach it
even if you say I don't want a theory I
just want to read the book and enjoy it
well something causes you to either
enjoy it or not you make judgments about
everything you read and your theory for
what makes an enjoyable book could be
very diverse it could be this book bores
me or it doesn't I had a student one
time who said she knew a good book when
it made her cry that was her criteria
for judging books if they make her cry
they're good if they don't they're not
and such a simple literary theory is
perhaps okay but you can get so much
more out of a text if you know other
ways of looking at it even if you don't
like them all one of my favorite things
is when my students come to me and say I
can't watch movies anymore because all I
see is the symbolism and I laughs
gleefully so in the next several videos
I'm going to give a brief thumbnail
sketch of these different types of
theories if you'd like to see them you
can click on them now and then you can
at least get familiar with some of the
theories out there click here to
subscribe I'll see you next time
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