MORALIST APPROACH ON LITERARY TEXT ( For Educational Purposes)

Summary

This video presentation introduces the moralist approach to literary criticism, which focuses on evaluating literature through the lens of ethical questions and moral values. The speaker explains that the approach considers behavior, ethical beliefs, and moral goodness or badness in characters and the text. The presentation highlights the importance of identifying key moral questions in a literary work. To illustrate, the speaker uses the story of 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' emphasizing the lesson that persistence and determination lead to success, while overconfidence can lead to failure. The video encourages viewers to reflect on these moral lessons in literature.

Takeaways

• 😀 The moralist approach in literary criticism focuses on analyzing literature through ethical and moral questions.
• 😀 Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature, often guided by literary theory.
• 😀 The moralist approach presents humans as rational beings endowed with intellect and free will.
• 😀 The moralist approach is concerned with questions of ethical goodness and badness in literature.
• 😀 Three central questions guide the moralist approach: the behavior the author endorses, the wrong behavior, and the religious or ethical beliefs the text addresses.
• 😀 The moralist approach encourages us to explore the ethical lessons and moral implications of a story.
• 😀 The story of *The Tortoise and the Hare* serves as an example to illustrate the moralist approach, emphasizing perseverance and humility.
• 😀 The key moral lesson in *The Tortoise and the Hare* is that 'slow and steady wins the race,' showcasing the importance of persistence over arrogance.
• 😀 The tortoise wins the race due to determination and consistency, while the hare loses because of overconfidence and complacency.
• 😀 Literary criticism using the moralist approach aims to uncover the ethical messages embedded in stories, which can often be life lessons.
• 😀 The speaker invites the audience to reflect on how literature can influence our understanding of ethics and moral values.

Q & A

What is the moralistic approach in literary criticism?

The moralistic approach in literary criticism evaluates literature based on ethical goodness or badness, focusing on moral behavior and the lessons conveyed through the text.

How does the moralistic approach differ from other literary approaches?

The moralistic approach specifically looks at the ethical dimensions of a story, asking questions about what is considered right or wrong and which moral lessons the text teaches, whereas other approaches might focus on form, politics, or gender.

What are the three central questions to ask when using the moralistic approach?

The three central questions are: 1) What behavior did the character display that the author wants us to think of as right? 2) What behavior is wrong, and what religious or ethical beliefs does the text address directly? 3) What religious or ethical beliefs or philosophies does the author seem to favor?

What role does literary criticism play in analyzing literature?

Literary criticism helps in the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. It is influenced by literary theory, which discusses the goals and methods of literature.

How does the story of *The Tortoise and the Hare* illustrate the moralistic approach?

The story highlights the moral lesson that 'slow and steady wins the race.' The tortoise’s persistence and determination are praised, while the hare’s overconfidence and laziness are shown to be flaws, which aligns with the moralistic approach’s focus on ethical behavior.

Why is *The Tortoise and the Hare* used as an example in this presentation?

It is used as an example because it is a simple story that clearly conveys a moral lesson, making it easy to demonstrate how the moralistic approach works in literary criticism.

What is the main lesson from *The Tortoise and the Hare*?

The main lesson from the story is that persistence and steady progress lead to success, while overconfidence and taking things for granted can result in failure.

What are some of the other literary approaches mentioned in the script?

The other literary approaches mentioned include the formalistic approach, Marxist approach, biographical approach, post-structuralist approach, structuralist approach, and feminist approach.

How does the moralistic approach relate to the concept of free will in literature?

The moralistic approach views humans as rational beings endowed with intellect and free will, which means characters in literature are often judged based on the moral choices they make using their free will.

What is the overall goal of the moralistic approach in literary criticism?

The goal of the moralistic approach is to identify and analyze the moral lessons in literature, evaluating the behavior of characters based on ethical standards and determining what the author seems to advocate in terms of moral philosophy.