Introduction to Literary Theory

Expressive Theory
 Orientation of Literary Critics
Universe
(Mimetic Theory)

Artist/Author Work of Arts Audience

(Expressive Theory) (Pragmatic Theory)

Text
(Objective Theory)
 Expressive Theory
• The Expressive theory of art was born of the
romantic movement (18 C).
• A critics that reacted against C18th classicism
and placed the individual at the centre of art.
• Art was seen as the means of portraying the
unique, individual feelings and emotions of
the artist and good art should successfully
communicate the feelings and emotions which
the artist intended to express.
• The coordinate of expressive theory is the
relationship between poet and work.
• Expressive theory would be the appropriate
with biographical criticism, romanticism, and
Freudian analysis.
• In this part, we use biographical criticism
(historical criticism) as a method in analyzing
literary work for expressive coordinate.
 Method In Analyzing
 Analysis based on the idea that a person's life
and times influence his or her work.
 When considering biographical theory, look at
the following aspects of an author's
identity: class, race, ethnicity, sex and/or gender,
sexual orientation, family history, religious and/or
political beliefs, education, nationality (this just
for starters!).
 Historical theorists believe that writers react to
cultural, historical and intellectual trends, and
work to either uphold or subvert those trends.
 According to the data class, race, ethnicity, sex and/or
gender, sexual orientation, family history, religious
and/or political beliefs, education, and nationality of
the poet that have been collected, the next step is
using this data to explain the literary works.
 The basic question in explaining the literary are: a) how
far the relevance between the data of poet and the
work of arts? b) what kind of idea that poet try to
express? And c) Is this a kind of reaction, uphold, or
subvert to social condition (trend) that have been bear
the literary works.
 Write a report prom data analysis.
 Report Model
Bab I
Pendahuluan
1.1 Latar Belakang
1.2 Rumusan Masalah
1.3 Tujuan
1.4 Landasan Teori
Bab II
Pembahasan
2.1 …

Bab III
Penutup
3.1 Simpulan
3.2 Saran
 Daftar Pustaka
Abrams, M.H. 1953. The Mirror and the Lamp:
Romantic Theory and the Critical
Tradition. USA: Oxford University Press.
Daftar Laman
www.kompas.com.id (diunduh 10:00, 26/3/10)
 Reference in this presentation
Abrams, M.H. 1953. The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic
Theory and the Critical Tradition. USA: Oxford
University Press.

Laman Internet
 http://www.stuckismwales.co.uk/theory/tblast/expres
sive.php
 http://hhh.gavilan.edu/ecrook/1B/LiteraryTheory.htm
 http://www.ajdrake.com/e491_fall_04/materials/guide
s/gd_four_coords.htm
 Task
• Made a group
• Analysis any literary works using the
expressive theory as coordinate.
• Suggest: Andrea Hirata (Tetralogy Laskar
Pelangi), or W. Shakespeare (Oedyphus).
• Presentate the result of your analysis in a
seminar.
• This file can be download in:
www.realitasfiksi.blogspot.com