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Learning Module in English 10 For Third Quarter: Ms. Kareen B. Gelilio
Learning Module in English 10 For Third Quarter: Ms. Kareen B. Gelilio
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1. Topic: The Argumentative Essay
Objective: To compose an argumentative essay.
An argumentative essay states the thesis in the introduction, substantiates the thesis in the body,
and provides a resolution for the reader in the conclusion. This distinct structure presents ideas in a
LOGICAL and CONVINCING manner.
According to theorist Stephen Toulmin, an argument can be divided into its claims and grounds:
(opinion, thesis)
reasons evidence
(introduced by “because”) (five types*)
All basic arguments have a few key elements as shown in Toulmin’s model above;
however, when space and time allow for it, all six elements of a good argument should be
included.
Writers can substantially strengthen their essays by including these elements:
Thesis – This should be clear, argumentative, and qualified if necessary. Beware of making broad
generalizations about “all” or “none” since these are difficult to support.
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What is a thesis statement?
Traditionally, a thesis statement consists of one sentence and appears last in the
introduction. It’s the most important sentence in your paper because it identifies
your topic and states your position on it.
Example of a clear, specific, logical thesis statement – The national government should
provide federal funds for stem cell research because it will help those who suffer from
chronic illnesses and allow the field of science to expand.
Personal Background – This describes the writer’s reasons for debating the issue. It explains
why the issue is interesting or important to the writer.
Historical background – To more effectively communicate an argument, writers must provide
the audience with the context for that argument through historical facts of the issue.
Common ground – These are points related to the issue and on which both sides agree;
identifying them generates good will between the writer and reader and helps avoid arguing
points on which both sides already agree.
Definitions – Writers must define the common or technical terms they use in an essay for the
average reader to understand. A term can be defined by stipulating a definition, by using a
synonym, or by offering an example.
Arguments
Arguments that oppose the thesis should be stated and explained in a way that opponents (the
readers for whom the argument is intended) would accept. Generally, the writer should respond
to arguments that oppose the writer’s thesis in one of three ways: by conceding, refuting, or
clarifying. Arguments that support the thesis must include reasons (for supporting the thesis)
and evidence to substantiate those reasons. The most convincing and best-developed arguments
should generally be saved for the end.
Body Contains two or more well-developed paragraphs that provide reasons and
evidence for the argument. These paragraphs include the following:
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The purpose of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to accept—or seriously consider—your
opinion on a controversial issue.
Has five parts: Thesis (Claim), Reasons, Evidence, Counterclaim, Rebuttal
(plus, Introduction and Conclusion)
THESIS/CLAIM
- Your opinion or position on an issue
- Must be supported with reasons and evidence
- Evidence can include quotes, facts, and data
- Evidence MUST be explained
REASONS
- Your reasons support the thesis and form argument with your evidence.
- Typical supporting paragraph structure goes like this: topic sentence (a reason why your thesis is
correct), then evidence/support of that reason. Finally, include an explanation of the evidence.
- Be sure to repeat a similar structure with every body paragraph.
COUNTER CLAIM
- Consider the opposite side
- Argues AGAINST your claim
- Turn against your argument to challenge it
- Then turn back to reaffirm your position
REBUT is to try to prove something isn't true but REFUTE is to actually prove it isn't. Getting them
mixed up won't get you kicked out of the debate club, but it's worth knowing the difference.
EXAMPLE
CLAIM: “More Americans are choosing low-carb diets because the media promotes low-carb
diets as the new way to skinnier body.”
COUNTER CLAIM: “Some Americans don’t watch television commercials because they own
a DVR or Tivo, but most Americans are exposed to other forms of advertisement in magazines,
newspapers, and highway billboards.”
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2. Topic: Informative, Persuasive, and Argumentative Writing Techniques
Objective: To use variety of informative, persuasive, and argumentative writing techniques
a. Your first sentence must be the attention grabber. WRITE SOMETHING THAT WILL GRAB
YOUR READER’S ATTENTION! Never start your essay with a question.
b. Your second sentence can be THE MAIN IDEA/POINT from the first text.
c. Your third sentence can be THE MAIN IDEA/POINT from the second text.
d. Your fourth sentence can be THE MAIN IDEA/POINT from the third text.
e. Your last sentence is YOUR THESIS STATEMENT. The thesis statement is the main idea of your
essay. This is when you will mention the three main points you are about to discuss. ALWAYS place
the thesis sentence last in the 1st paragraph of your essay.
1. Add a transition word here. THIS is where you provide supporting details from the FIRST text.
Provide examples and supporting details from the text to back up what you wrote on your second (2nd)
sentence (letter b from the first paragraph). Mention the text and author (if applicable). Use
parenthetical citations or text evidence sentence starters. For example, The Jones Family owned a
successful pineapple plantation. (Source 1). You can use the textual evidence sentence starters. For
example, In Source 1, it states… In other words, this is where you will write IN DETAIL what the first
source is about in your own words. Use the RACE(S) method.
2. Add a transition word here. This is where you will write IN DETAIL what you wrote in your third
sentence (letter c from the first paragraph). Repeat what you did in your second paragraph using Source
#2. Provide examples, etc. Remember, you must provide supporting details from the text to back up
what you wrote on your third (3rd) sentence. Mention the text and author. For example, IF A MAP or
a graph IS YOUR SECOND SOURCE, write how the map/graph supports the information you
are discussing. USE the RACE(S) method.
3. Add a transition word here. This is where you will write IN DETAIL what you wrote in your third
sentence (letter d in the first paragraph). Provide examples, etc. Mention the text and author. For
example: In “The Birth of Biscayne National Park,” it states, “… “USE the RACE(S) METHOD
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4. Add a concluding transitional word here. (To conclude, in conclusion, etc.) In this paragraph,
rephrase the thesis statement. You should also briefly summarize all of the main points from each of the
3 texts and end your paragraph.
RACES METHOD
We use persuasive language to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our
argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking. There are many ways to persuade people. Here are
some of the more common:
Appeals: One persuasive technique is appealing to the audience’s:
• emotions
• fears
• desire to seem intelligent
• need to protect their family
• desire to fit in, to be accepted, to be loved
• desire to be an individual ,
• desire to follow a tradition
• desire to be wealthy or save money
• desire to be healthy
• desire to look good
• desire to protect animals and the environment
• pride in our country
Evidence: Using evidence is very persuasive as it makes the reader see the author as knowledgeable and the
argument as more logical or reliable.
Example: Statistics, expert opinions, research findings and anecdotal evidence.
Attacks: Attacks on opposing views, or the people who hold them can persuade the audience by portraying
views and beliefs which are contrary to the author’s contention as foolish, dangerous, uncaring or deceitful.
Using humor to make fun of these views can be particularly persuasive. Note: can offend or alienate audience if
overdone.
Example: Town Hall? Clown Hall if we consider the Mayor’s latest comments.’
Inclusive and Exclusive Language: Inclusive language such as ‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’ and exclusive language such
as ‘them’ can persuade by including the reader, or by creating a sense of solidarity or a sense of responsibility.
Example: ‘People like you and me don’t want to see this happen’
Rhetorical Questions: Rhetorical questions are questions that do not require and answer and are asked for
effect only. They engage the audience and encourage them to consider the issue and accept the author’s answer
or imply that the answer is so obvious that anyone who disagrees is foolish.
Example: Do we want our children growing up in a world where they are threatened with violence on
every street corner?
Cause and effect: arguments may claim there is a cause and effect relationship when really there is just a
relationship and other factors should be considered.
Connotations: The connotation is the emotional meaning associated with the word.
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Persuasive authors often choose their words carefully so that the connotation suits their purpose.
Example (1) ‘Kill’ and ‘Slaughter’ both mean the same thing, but the word ‘slaughter’ has a different
connotation to ‘kill’, as it causes the audience to imagine that the act was particularly horrific.
Example (2) ‘Health issue’ vs ‘health crisis’
Example (3) ‘Terrorist’ vs ‘freedom fighter’
Analogy: Analogy is a form of reasoning which compares one thing with another in order to make a particular
point.
Example: School is like a prison and students are like prisoners.
Generalizations: Make sweeping statements about a whole group, based on only one or two members of that
group. These can be persuasive if the audience believes the generalization is appropriate but can undermine
argument if they do not.
Example: A store manager might see one or two teenagers shoplifting and write a letter to the editor
claiming all teenagers steal and can’t be trusted.
Humor: Humor, such as puns, irony, sarcasm, satire and jokes can be persuasive by dismissing opposing views,
providing a more engaging and friendly tone, and sway an audience by having them enter into the joke.
Example: ‘Totally ArtRage’ as a pun on ‘Totally Outraged’ when talking about controversial art.
Jargon: By using specialized terms, the author can persuade the audience that they are an expert.
Example: When announcing a recession whilst trying to save face a politician may call it ‘period of
economic adjustment' or ’interruption of economic expansion.
Formal Language: Formal language can make the author sound knowledgeable while removing emotion from
the issue. This can make the argument sound reasonable and rational, and the contention seem balanced.
Example: ‘If we consider the situation in emergency wards, with increasingly low staff retention rates,
there are concerns about the capacity of hospitals to maintain adequate doctor to patient ratios.’
Colloquial language: Colloquial language is informal, every day, conversational language that includes down
to earth views and is seductive because it appears friendly and can make the audience feel that the author is on
the same wavelength as them.
Example: "That totally grossed me out" vs. "That really disgusted me."
Repetition: By repeating letters, words and phrases the author can reinforce an argument and ensure that the
point of view being made stays in an audience’s mind.
Example: Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark
and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now /5 the time to lift our nation
from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice
a reality for all of God's children.
Hyperbole: The use of hyperbole emphasizes points by exaggerating. It can be used to mock opposing
opinions, as a shock tactics technique, or an appeal to fears.
Example: Those who support this ridiculous idea would have us believe that it will dramatically
improve the quality of life for modern living. 0f course it will! And it will probably bring about world
peace, stop pollution, and make the trams run on time!
Example: Every weekend the city is overrun by beggars.
Alliteration and Assonance: The repetition of initial consonant sounds (alliteration) or vowel sounds
(assonance) adds emphasis to major points and makes them more memorable.
Example: Sydney’s slippery slide (alliteration) The elite meet and greet (assonance)
Imagery and Figurative Language: use of figurative language, metaphor and simile can paint a word picture
for audience, making the point visually and by comparison, or appeal to emotions. They can also make the
author appear sophisticated or well spoken.
Example (1): Australia is a fabric woven of many colors (metaphor)
Example (2): Citizenship was thrown around like confetti (simile)
Example (3): Bodies were piled up in makeshift roadside graves and in gutters (imagery)
Images: Images can also be used to persuade the reader, either independently or used with an article. Consider:
Context: What is the issue?
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Content: What is in the image? What is in the foreground and the background? What symbols or text is
used? What colors are used?
Target: Who/ what is the visual directed at?
Message: What is the artist’s message or contention? How does the content of the image persuade the
reader to accept this contention?
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ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING TECHNIQUES
The techniques of argument are not foreign to you. You use them and have used them all the time in
your daily life. For example, it's Friday night and you ask your Dad for the keys to the car. His reply is, "Why
should I?" You then must argue or persuade him to let you have the keys. What you may not be as familiar or
comfortable with is making arguments in writing.
It is important to realize that REASONS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ANY ARGUMENT! Beyond
"making your point and supporting it," what more can you do to "craft" a persuasive argument? Remember our
analogy of the courtroom lawyer for your job as an argumentative writer. The courtroom lawyer doesn't just
present evidence and reasons in any order. He or she thinks about how the case might be most persuasively
presented. While making his or her case, the lawyer (writer) could use any of these argumentative approaches:
One could easily take a whole course in argumentative writing, and I do not want to overwhelm you
with too much. Instead, I would like to present you with two argumentative techniques that if incorporated into
your essay will make your writing more persuasive and effective. These techniques are "Focus and Emphasis"
and "Point-Counterpoint."
Focus/Emphasis:
When using this technique, you present one reason as being the strongest and most important, and you
spend more time developing and emphasizing it. Perhaps you have three or five good reasons for your position.
By focusing and emphasizing one, you give your argument something like a left hook a boxer saves for his
opponent. Also, it is best to present the strongest reason last so that you leave your reader with your strongest
argument freshest in his or her mind.
Below are two examples of topic sentences setting up the last body paragraph of an essay. Each signals focus
and emphasis. Notice how the character of the argument would be different depending upon which reason is
emphasized.
Example 1: Last, and most importantly, we need to continue funding for the space program because
space is our last frontier and questing to reach into the unknown is part of the American
spirit. (Focusing and emphasizing this reason in the last body paragraph of the essay would give this
essay a strong emotional appeal.)
Example 2: Finally, and most compellingly, funding for the space program must be continued because
important scientific knowledge is gained from space. (The presentation of this last reason would
provide the essay with a logical and practical appeal.)
Thinking carefully about the sequencing of your Primary Supports puts a "spin" or accent on your
argument.
Point/Counterpoint (Concession-Refutation):
Let me illustrate point-counterpoint in another way. Most of us have been exposed to this technique if
we have ever been approached by a salesperson trying to make a cold call quick sell. These salespersons are
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trained in how to "overcome objections." For example, you are sitting at home minding your own business
when the phone rings and you have this conversation:
Notice what happened in this exchange. The salesman acknowledged the other person's argument, but
then tried to overcome it with counterarguments of his own. This "point-counter" point technique is disarming
to your opponents and extremely effective.
This technique is effective because with it you communicate to your reader that you understand both
sides of the issue. It makes you sound more credible and knowledgeable on the topic and therefore more
believable. You also anticipate your reader's objections and overcome them before he or she has a chance to
think them. If your argument was only "one sided" and did not acknowledge or address any opposing arguments
to your own, the reader might think about these opposing arguments with a question mark in his or her head.
Your reader will be less convinced because he or she will still have those questions in mind.
Example 1: Although the space program yields important scientific discoveries, the cost in dollars and
diverted resources does not make these discoveries worth the high price.
Example 2: Some argue that the space program costs too much, saying that the price for scientific
discoveries made by the program are too high. However, the worth of many of these discoveries does
not always come in the form of immediate monetary return. What price can we put on learning how to
save the ozone layer?
Notice that the refutations are signaled with transition words like "however," "but," or "although."
No single right way exists for addressing opposing views in an argument essay. You may be confused about
how to do it, so let me make some suggestions.
You could begin each body paragraph with an opposing view, and then make the contents of that
paragraph be the counterpoint to that opposing view.
You could have two of your paragraph’s present reasons for your position, and then in the third,
summarize an opposing view and counter it.
You also could have a point-counterpoint inside the secondary support of a paragraph.
REMEMBER that when you do point-counterpoint, you fairly summarize an opposing view and always follow
that summary with your counterargument which refutes that opposing view.
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3. Topic: Writing a Critique
Objective: To compose an independent critique of a chosen selection.
What is a CRITIQUE?
A critique is a paper that gives a critical assessment of a book or article.
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A critique is a systematic analysis of a piece of literature that discusses its validity and evaluates its
worth.
Its main purpose is not informational, but analytic and persuasive.
In analyzing the content within which the book (or article) was written, the writer of a critique argues
whether it is worth reading or not.
Writing a critique (also known as a critical response, critical book review or book review)
A good review should provide critical commentary on the quality of the book.
It contains:
1. The thesis and major argument
2. The organization and style
3. The author’s values and assumptions
The review should pay more attention to evaluating the strengths and the weaknesses of the book
It should ultimately answer the question:
“Is this a good book/story that would be worth reading?”
Use the following checklist as a guide for writing a critical book/story review:
1. What does the book cover? Summarize. When reviewing fiction, never give away the ending or the
intricacies of the plot that are meant to surprise the reader.
2. Who is the author and what are his or her biases?
3. What are the major points that the author makes in the book?
4. Do you think these ideas are correct? Do you accept them? Why or why not?
Specifically:
a. Does the author substantiate his or her points satisfactorily with information, logic, examples?
b. Do the author’s ideas agree with your experience and knowledge?
5. Are there special features about this book which interest or disturb you, such as unusual information
or new ways of looking at an issue?
6. If you have read other books on the same general topic, how does this book differ from that of the
others?
7. Are there any additional comments you should include in order to make the essence of this book
understood by someone reading your review?
These questions may be answered in any order, but all of them should be addressed, however
briefly.
A book review, like any other piece of writing, should observe the basic requirements of literary
discourse. There should be:
1. An introduction that includes either a thesis or a premise from which your thesis will later emerge.
2. A middle section in which you give a brief synopsis of the book and develop your arguments.
3. Brief conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
Start your critique with sentences giving the following information:
- Author’s name
- Book/article title and source
- Author’s thesis statement
SUMMARY
Summarize the author’s purpose and main points/evidence cited that are used for back up.
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- Does the author’s use and interpretation of this evidence lead the reader to the same
conclusion?
- Did the author build a logical argument?
- Is there other evidence that would support a counterargument?
- Are the article and the evidence still valid or are they outdated, leading to an invalid
conclusion?
- Was the author successful in making his/her point?
CONCLUSION
Wrap up by:
- Stating whether you agree with the author.
- Back up your decisions by stating your reasons.
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3. Topic: Literary Criticism
Objective: Critique a literary selection based on the following approaches:
- structuralist/formalist
- moralist
- Marxist
- feminist
- historical
- reader-response
LITERARY CRITICISM
"Literary criticism is the evaluation of literary works. This includes the classification by genre,
analysis of structure, and judgement of value."
"Literary criticism asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is worth."
Literary criticism is the method used to interpret any given work of literature. The different schools of
literary criticism provide us with lenses which ultimately reveal important aspects of the literary work.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO ANALYZE EVERYTHING?
Talking about experiences enhances our enjoyment of them
Talking about experiences involves the search for meaning which increases our understanding of
them
Because Socrates said so: "The life which is unexamined is not worth living."
The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances the enjoyment of our reading of the literary work.
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WHAT IS LITERARY THEORY?
The capacity to generalize about phenomena and to develop concepts that form the basis
for interpretation and analysis—in this instance, of a “literary” text.
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The Psychological approach is placed outside these poles because it can fit in many places, depending
how it is applied:
(1) Historical if diagnosing the author himself
(2) Mimetic if considering if characters are acting by "real world" standards and with recognizable
psychological motivations
(3) Archetypal when the idea of the Jungian collective unconscious is included
(4) Reader-Response when the psychology of the reader--why he sees what he sees in the text--is
examined.
Likewise, Feminist, Minority, Marxist, and other such approaches may fit in:
(1) Historical if the author's attitudes are being examined in relation to his times (i.e. was Shakespeare a
feminist for his times, though he might not be considered so today?)
(2) Mimetic--when asking how well characters accord with the real world. Does a black character act
like a black person would, or is he a stereotype? Are women being portrayed accurately? Does the work
show a realistic economic picture of the world?
1. FORMALISM
Has the advantage of forcing writers to evaluate a work on its own terms rather than to rely on
“accepted” notions of the writer’s work
Works best when applied to poetry and short fiction.
Attempts to discover meaning by close reading of a work of literature. Focus is on:
Form, organization, and structure
Word choice and language
Multiple meanings
Considers the work in isolation, disregarding author’s intent, author’s background, context, and anything
else outside of the work itself.
The formalist movement began in England with the publication of I.A. Richards’ Practical Criticism
(1929).
American critics (such as John Crowe Ransom, Robert Penn Warren, and Cleanth Brooks) adapted
formalism and termed their adaptation “New Criticism.”
New Criticism varied from formalism in that New Criticism focuses on image, symbol, and meaning.
Traditional formalists often attacked New Critics for their lack of attention to the form of the work.
Seminal works on New Criticism include John Crowe Ransom’s The New Criticism (1941) and Cleanth
Brooks’ The Well-Wrought Urn (1947).
Impact of Formalism
- Today, few critics adhere only to the formalist or New Criticism theory. However, its back-to-the-
basics approach pervades many other critical theories.
2. READER-RESPONSE
Sees the reader as essential to the interpretation of a work.
Each reader is unique, with different educations, experiences, moral values, opinions, tastes, etc.
Therefore, each reader’s interaction with a work is unique.
Analyzes the features of the text that shape and guide a reader’s reading.
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Emphasizes recursive reading—rereading for new interpretations.
Reader-response theory has been criticized as being overly impressionistic and guilty of the affective
fallacy (too focused on the emotional effect of the work). Less tactful critics have plainly said that it is
not intellectual.
These attacks resulted in an adaptation of reader-response criticism called reception theory.
Readers may reach the same conclusions about a work--but approach the task quite differently
READER-RESPONSE/RECEPTION THEORY
Reception theory is applied to the general reading public rather than an individual reader.
Each generation has different experiences, values, issues, etc.
Therefore, each generation will read a work differently.
3. STRUCTURALISM
Meaning resides in the structure of language, not in art nor in the reader’s mind
Scientific approach to literary analysis:
structure of language as a logical sign system determines meaning
Two levels of language: langue (“the King’s English”) & parole (everyday speech)
Interpret a text or part of a text by taking its language apart (study word derivations, sentence syntax,
etc.)
4. FEMINIST CRITICISM
Feminist criticism grew out of the women’s movement that followed World War II.
Feminist critics analyze the role of gender in works of literature. Leading critic Elaine Showalter
describes two purposes of feminist criticism:
Feminist critique: The analysis of works by male authors, especially in the depiction of women’s
writing
Gynocriticism: The study of women’s writing
Feminist critics have been responsible for recovering neglected works by women authors through the
ages and creating a canon of women’s writing.
A case in point is Kate Chopin. She was fairly widely published in the 1890s, but her work was largely
neglected by literary critics until the 1960s, when Chopin was “rediscovered” by feminist critics.
Meaning is socially constructed.
Texts have more than one interpretation
Texts are commodities (products of society)
Truth is relative, highly dependent on arbitrary categories of difference, esp. those based on
“sex” and “gender”
Look for systems of containment; for evidence of repression, oppression, suppression, subversion, &
rebellion in texts by women; study women’s unique ways of understanding and writing about the human
condition.
5. MARXIST CRITICISM
Marxist criticism is based on the social and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Their
beliefs include the following:
Value is based on labor.
The working class will eventually overthrow the capitalist middle class.
In the meantime, the middle class exploits the working class.
Most institutions—religious, legal, educational, and governmental—are corrupted by middle-
class capitalists.
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Marxist critics apply these economic and social theories to literature by analyzing:
Ideologies that support the elite and place the working class at a disadvantage
Class conflict
Marxism strongly influenced fiction, particularly American fiction, in the 1930s.
7. NEW HISTORICISM
New historicist critics view literature as part of history, and furthermore, as an expression of forces on
history.
New historicism compares literary analysis to a dynamic circle:
The work tells us something about the surrounding ideology (slavery, rights of women, etc.)
Study of the ideology tells us something about the work.
New historicism takes two forms:
Analysis of the work in the context in which it was created
Analysis of the work in the context in which it was critically evaluated.
New historicists assert that literature “does not exist outside time and place and cannot be interpreted
without reference to the era in which it was written” (Kirszner and Mandell 2038).
Readers are influenced by their culture, so no objective reading of a work is possible.
Critics should consider how their own culture affects their interpretation of the historical influence on a
work
Literature is one among many socially constructed texts. If there is a difference, it’s the intentional use
of the imagination to convey ideas.
History is every bit as subjective as intentionally imaginative text
Purpose of analyzing literature is to locate hidden social messages, especially those that promote
oppression.
Texts have no final interpretation
Language, though socially constructed, is stable enough to be useful.
Find a small intriguing or odd piece of the text and interpret it by comparing it to contemporary sign
systems—magazines, newspapers, fads, laws. Try to locate uses & abuses of power.
8. MORALIST CRITICISM
Moralist Criticism is a type of literary critique that judges the value of the literature of based on its
moral lessons or ethical teachings.
Determines the worth of literature by seeing if it encourages good out of the reader.
Aspects of Moralist Criticism:
1. Literature that is ethically sound and encourages virtue is praised.
2. Literature that misguides and/or corrupts is condemned.
Things to consider:
- Maturity
- Sincerity
- Honesty
- Sensitivity
- Courage
If literature seeks corruption or negative influence.
The moral and ethical teachings the author presents.
How does the text play out ethical principles?
Is a practical, moral, or philosophical idea being presented?
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