REVIEWER IN AFRO-ASIA LITERATURE
Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and
WEEK 2: INTRODUCTION TO AFRO-ASIAN
LITERATURE
Afro-Asian Literature- mirrors not only the customs
and traditions of African and Asian countries but also
their philosophy of life which on the whole are deeply
and predominantly contemplative and hauntingly
sweet.
-Is the reflection of the storm and the stress of
developing nations seeking a place under the sun
which every student must understand so he may
know how this literature affects the history and
culture of a nation.
-Refers to the literary output of the various countries
and cultures in Africa and Asia. This includes their
oral traditions and from the first to the contemporary
written and/or published prose and poetry.
- The background of Afro-Asian literature dates to
the very beginning when the first mixed race
individual began writing.
-Earlier written documents were based on stories
passed by word of mouth.
-Literary works were handed by mouth from
generation to generation to entertain, educate and
remind the people about their past, heroic deeds of
their people, ancestry, and culture.
-Afro-Asian Literature is a sign of new and modern
times. It also teaches people and allows them to
learn about different experiences and cultures from
all over the world.
Asia- has extremely diverse climates and
geographic features. Climates range from arctic and
subarctic in Siberia to tropical in southern India and
Southeast Asia.
-It is moist across southeast sections and dry across
much of the interior. Some of the largest daily
temperature ranges on Earth occur in western
sections of Asia.
-The monsoon circulation dominates across
southern and eastern sections, due to the presence
of the Himalayas forcing the formation of a thermal
low which draws in moisture during the summer.
Southwestern sections of the continent are hot.
East Asia- includes China, Hong Kong, Japan,
Taiwan.
South Asia- is the southern region of Asia, which is
defined in both geographical and ethnocultural
terms. The region consists of the countries of
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Southeast Asia -is composed of eleven countries
of impressive diversity in religion, culture, and
history: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar),Cambodia,
Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Asian Literature- encompasses the rich and widely
diverse cultural and ethnic heritages found in such
countries as China, India, Japan, Philippines, and
more.
-One of the most consistently appearing themes in
Asian literature, and really, all literature, is the
celebration of nature and life.
-The most significant contribution was opening the
western world’s eye towards Vedic Literature, Asian
spirituality (that is distinctly different and vastly
effective than any other prevalent streams), Yoga
and meditation, Sanskrit Literature, and Asian
philosophy.
NORMS AND CULTURE: ASIA
1. Asian values are very much inter-related.
They all support the view of the individual as
being a part of a much larger group or family,
and place great importance on the well-
being of the group, even at the expense of
the individual.
Family and Education - A number of Asian
students have done conspicuously well in
terms of test scores, gifted student
programs, admissions to prestigious
schools, academic awards, and in classical
music. Though obviously not all Asians fit
this pattern, this trend can be attributed
primarily to the basic notion of the family, and
the central role that education plays in the
family. Great importance is placed on child
rearing, and education is a fundamental
aspect of this.
- Asian parents are more likely to spend
much more time with their children, and
drive them harder, sometimes even at
 the expense of their personal time and -Is the largest of the three great southward
ambitions of the parents themselves. projections from the largest landmass of the Earth.
Reserve Conformity and Harmony - Since
AFRICA has 54 countries and it is divided into
the well-being of the larger group is most
subregions:
important in Asian culture, great importance is
• Western Africa – Nigeria
placed on maintaining harmony. The greatest virtue
that can achieve is not greatness of one’s self, which • Eastern Africa – Ethiopia
is viewed as being selfish and self-centered, but of
fulfilling his or her role in the whole of the family or • Northern Africa – Egypt
group. • Middle Africa – Congo
Benevolence and Obligation - Asian The Characteristics of African literature include
societies tend to be very hierarchical, in slave narratives, protests against colonization,
contrast to African culture, where in some calls for independence, African pride, hope for
cases it is not unusual to consider teacher the future, and dissent.
and student, or even parent and child as
equals. Asian hierarchical relationships • African literature is not important only because of
involve a lot of and what might be viewed as its relevant setting and relatable storylines. It also
dependence or domination. But a good deal increases our social consciousness and raises
of responsibility and benevolence is
awareness of social, political, and economic crises
expected in return. While children might be
that the African continent is facing.
obligated to follow their parent’s wishes very
closely at the expense of their own
independence, the parents are also
expected to raise support, and educate them
far in excess of what might be expected by
African standards.
Loss of face, shame and honor - Losing
face is one of the better known Asian
concepts among others society. Unlike
individualistic cultures, shame and honor go
far beyond the individual, and reflect directly
upon ones’ family, nation, or other group,
and so is taken very seriously. Maintaining
good face is a kind of measurement of how The five major themes of African literature are:
well one has maintained faith to traditional
values, and ones’ social standing among • Themes of Colonialism,
others. It serves as a strong control • Liberation,
mechanism which reinforces all other Asian
values. • Nationalism,

Africa- is the youngest continent in terms of its • Tradition,

population – 50 percent of Africans are 19 years old
• Displacement,
or younger.
• and Rootlessness in African Literature.
-Despite some fast-growing economies, Africa
continues to have some of the highest child NORMS AND CULTURE: AFRICA
malnutrition rates and lack of schooling rates in the
world. 1. Africa has 300 distinct ethnic groups, 2000
languages. Home to the most genetically
-Africa is considered by most paleoanthropologists diverse people on Earth. So diverse that two
to be the oldest inhabited territory on Earth, with the Africans are more genetically different from
human species originating from the continent
 each other than a Chinese and European are ❖ African literature is as diverse as the
from each other. continent itself, but several
2. Africa is the world's second largest and characteristics an themes prevail
second most populous continent. There are throughout much of the written works
generations, which do define Africa, but none emerging from Africa. There is often
that are exclusive. great emphasis on the history,
Sense of Community - A popular African culture, and customs of a group of
proverb comes to mind here to express the people when telling their stories.
African sense of community. It says: "Go the ❖ Afro-Asian’s literary works were
way that many people go; if you go alone, handed by mouth from generation to
you will have reason to lament “. generation to entertain, educate and
- The African idea of security and its value remind the people about their past,
depends on personal identification with heroic deeds of their people, ancestry
and within the community. and culture.
Sense of Good Human Relations - The art ❖ Afro-Asian literature is a sign of new
of dialogue and conversation is a cherished and modern times. It also teaches
value in African human people freely discuss people and allow them to learn about
their problems and look for suggestions and different experiences and cultures
solutions together. The unwillingness to talk from all over the world.
to people about either private or public affairs
Literature appeals to man’s higher nature and its
can be interpreted as bad manners or sign of
needs– emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and
enmity.
creativity.
Sense of hospitality - The African sense of
hospitality is one of the African values that is -Like all other forms of art, literature entertains and
still quite alive. The Africans easily gives pleasure; it fires the imagination and arouses
incorporate strangers and give them lands to noble emotions and it enriches man by enabling him
settle hoping that would go one day, and to reflect on life and by filling him with new ideas.
the land would revert to the owner.
Africans have symbolic ways of expressing All literature falls under two main divisions:
welcome. These are in forms of presentation
of kola nuts, traditional gin, coconuts, etc.; in
various communities.
GENERAL NORMS AND CULTURE:
1. The Afro-Asian countries usually cared for
their family first; then they are fond of their
social values; and especially, their love for
their own country.
2. They are also active in celebrating festivals
that reflect their own characteristics as an
Asian. They are religious because they give and it is classified into 4 main literary genres
importance to ‘The Creator’ by giving thanks
and offering prayers to Him.
3. They are also active if we talk about literature
because they are good writers.
4. They are talented in different branches of
sports and arts that they are about to
compete worldwide.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRO-ASIAN
LITERATURE
 and it is classified into 4 main literary genres
Generally, literary works of Afro-Asian tell people
about the unique struggles and successes of Afro-
Asian people.
➢ GENRES: playwriting, poems, prose
➢ POEMS: tell about the history and culture of
the Afro-Asian people. Today, Afro-Asians still
express their creativity and honor their culture by
crafting beautiful poems such as haikus, ballads, or
sonnets.
➢ PLAYWRIGHTS: celebrate their own culture
and ancestry by setting plays in the past and
referencing historical events in their
storylines. When performed, this will feature
backdrops and costumes which will reflects
the culture and unique spirit of Afro-Asian
people.
➢ PROSE – it is used to expose truth, to
describe objects, places, and people, to draw
a reader deeper into a story.
Norms and Cultures
▪ NORMS - a standard or pattern, especially of
social behavior, that is typical or expected of
a group
▪ CULTURE - is define as the shared patterns
of behaviors and interactions, cognitive
constructs, and affective understanding
that are learned through a process of
socialization.
- These shared patterns identify the
members of a culture group while also
distinguishing those of another group.
- The highest degree of culture is
embodied within a virtue of respecting
other humans, either as an individual or
a part of community. It is no surprise that,
in this phase, people of Asia and Africa
adapt the culture of mutual cooperation.
WEEK 3: THE NEGRO RENAISSANCE
The Harlem Renaissance
• The Harlem Renaissance was a period in
American history from the 1920s and 1930s.
During this time, many African-Americans
migrated from the South to Northern cities,
seeking economic and creative
opportunities.
• Within their communities creative expression
became an outlet for writers, musicians,
artists, and photographers, with a particular
concentration in Harlem, New York.
• "Harlem Renaissance" did not appear in print
before 1940, and it only gained widespread
appeal in the 1960s.
• During the four preceding decades, writers
had mostly referred to a "Negro
Renaissance."
History of the Harlem Renaissance
- With the end of the Civil War in 1865,
hundreds of thousands of African
Americans newly freed from the yoke of
slavery in the South began to dream
of fuller participation in American
society, including political
empowerment, equal economic
opportunity, and economic and cultural
self-determination.
- Unfortunately, by the late 1870s, that
dream was largely dead, as white
supremacy was quickly restored to the
Reconstruction South. White lawmakers
on state and local levels passed strict
racial segregation laws known as “Jim
Crow laws” that made African
Americans second-class citizens.
- While a small number of African
Americans were able to become
landowners, most were exploited as
sharecroppers, a system designed to
keep them poor and powerless.
- Hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan
(KKK) perpetrated lynchings and
conducted campaigns of terror and
intimidation to keep African Americans
from voting or exercising other
fundamental rights.
Economy individual dark-skinned selves,” as well as a new
militancy in asserting their civil and political rights.
 With booming economies across the North
and Midwest offering industrial jobs for Harlem Renaissance Contributors:
workers of every race, many African
Among the Renaissance’s most significant
Americans realized their hopes for a better
contributors were intellectuals:
standard of living—and a more racially
tolerant environment—lay outside the South. • W.E.B. Du Bois
By the turn of the 20th century, the Great • Marcus Garvey
Migration was underway as hundreds of • Cyril Briggs
thousands of African Americans relocated to • Walter Francis White
cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit,
Philadelphia, and New York. Electrifying performers:
 The Harlem section of Manhattan, which
• Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson
covers just three square miles, drew nearly
175,000 African Americans, giving the Writers and Poets:
neighborhood the largest concentration of
black people in the world. Harlem became a • Zora Neale Hurston
destination for African Americans of all • Effie Lee Newsome
backgrounds. From unskilled laborers to an • Countee Cullen
educated middle-class, they shared common
Visual Artists: Aaron Douglas and Augusta Savage
experiences of slavery, emancipation, and
and an Extraordinary List of Legendary
racial oppression, as well as a
Musicians, including
determination to forge a new identity as
free people. • Louis Armstrong
• Count Basie
The Great Migration
• Eubie Blake
= The Great Migration drew to Harlem some of the • Cab Calloway
greatest minds and brightest talents of the day, an • Duke Ellington
astonishing array of African American artists and • Billie Holiday
scholars. Between the end of World War I and the • Ivie Anderson
mid-1930s, they produced one of the most • Josephine Baker
significant eras of cultural expression in the • Fats Waller
nation’s history—the Harlem Renaissance. • Jelly Roll Morton, and countless others.
= Yet this cultural explosion also occurred in MOVEMENT
Cleveland, Los Angeles and many cities shaped by
the great migration. Alain Locke, a Harvard- ❖ At the height of the movement, Harlem was
educated writer, critic, and teacher who became the epicenter of American culture. The
known as the “dean” of the Harlem Renaissance, neighborhood bustled with African American-
described it as a “spiritual coming of age” in which owned and run publishing houses and
African Americans transformed “social newspapers, music companies, playhouses,
disillusionment to race pride.” nightclubs, and cabarets. The literature,
music, and fashion they created defined
LITERATURE culture and “cool” for blacks and white alike,
 The Harlem Renaissance encompassed in America and around the world.
poetry and prose, painting and sculpture, ❖ As the 1920s came to a close, so did the
jazz and swing, opera and dance. Harlem Renaissance. Its heyday was cut
 What united these diverse art forms was their short largely due to the Stock Market Crash
realistic presentation of of 1929 and resulting Great Depression,
which hurt African American-owned
what it meant to be black in America, what writer businesses and publications and made less
Langston Hughes called an “expression of our financial support for the arts available from
 patrons, foundations, and theatrical
organizations.
❖ However, the Harlem Renaissance’s impact
on America was indelible. The movement
brought notice to the great works of African
American art, and inspired and influenced
future generations of African American
artists and intellectuals.
❖ The self-portrait of African American life,
identity, and culture that emerged from
Harlem was transmitted to the world at large,
challenging the racist and disparaging
stereotypes of the Jim Crow South. In doing
so, it radically redefined how people of other
races viewed African Americans and
understood the African American experience
❖ Most importantly, the Harlem Renaissance
instilled in African Americans across the
country a new spirit of self-determination and
pride, a new social consciousness, and a
new commitment to political activism, all of
which would provide a foundation for the Civil
Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In
doing so, it validated the beliefs of its
founders and leaders like Alain Locke and
Langston Hughes that art could be a vehicle
to improve the lives of the African
Americans.
The Three Theories Used in Digesting Literary
Pieces
a. AUTHOR DEPENDENT THEORY
: Focuses on the perspective and the background
of the author.
b. TEXT DEPENDENT HEORY
: Focuses on the form, style, and structure of the
literary text itself.
c. READER’S DEPENDENT THEORY
: Focuses on the perspective and own interpretation
towards the literary text of the reader himself.
**Criticism Approaches**
- Lenses used in Analyzing Literary Pieces
✓ Literary Criticism – a systematic study and
evaluation of literary works.
✓ Biographical Criticism – begins with simple
but central insight that Literature is written by
actual people and that understanding an
author’s life can help readers more
thoroughly comprehend the work.
✓ Cultural Criticism- an approach to literature
that focuses on the historical as well as social
political and economic contexts of a work.
✓ Deconstructionism- critical dismantling of
tradition and traditional modes of thought
✓ Feminist Criticism- an approach to
literature that seeks to correct and
supplement what may be regarded as a
predominantly made dominated critical
perspective with a feminist consciousness.
✓ Formalist Criticism-an approach to
literature that focuses on the formal elements
of a work such as its language, structure, and
tone.
✓ Gay and Lesbian- an approach to literature
that focuses on how homosexuals are
represented in literature.
✓ Gender Criticism- an approach to literature
that explore how ideas about men and
women- what is masculine and feminine- can
be regarded as socially constructed by
particular cultures.
✓ Historical Criticism – an approach to
literature that uses history as means of
understanding literary work more clearly.
✓ Marxist Criticism- an approach to literature
that focuses on the ideological content of
work of Karl Marx
✓ Mythological Criticism- an approach to
literature that seeks to identify what in work
creates deep universal response in readers,
by paying close attention to the hopes, fears,
and expectations of the entire cultures.
✓ New Criticism- an approach to literature that
focuses in explication- extremely close
textual analysis.
✓ New Historicism – an approach to literature
that emphasizes the interaction between
 the historic context of the work and a
modern reader’s understanding and of the
work.
✓ Post-Colonial Criticism – an approach to
literature that focuses on the study of cultural
behavior and expression in relationship to
the colonized word.
✓ Psychological Criticism – an approach to
literature that draws upon psychoanalytic
theories.
✓ Sociological Criticism – an approach to
literature that examines social groups,
relationship, and values as they are
manifested in literature.
✓ Reader Response Criticism- an approach
to literature that focuses on the reader rather
than the work itself.
✓ Structuralism – an approach to literature
that examines how literary texts arrive at their
meanings rather than the meaning itself.
✓ Queer Criticism – focused its inquiries into
natural and unnatural behavior with respect
to homosexual behavior, queer theory
expands its focus to encompass any kind of
sexual activity or identity that falls into
normative and deviant categories.
✓ Moral- Philosophical Criticism –
evaluates a work in terms of the ideas and
values it contains – in relation to particular
ethical, philosophical or religious system.
✓ Reader Response Criticism- an approach
to literature that focuses on the reader rather
than the work itself.
✓ Structuralism – an approach to literature
that examines how literary texts arrive at their
meanings rather than the meaning itself.
✓ Queer Criticism – focused its inquiries into
natural and unnatural behavior with respect
to homosexual behavior, queer theory
expands its focus to encompass any kind of
sexual activity or identity that falls into
normative and deviant categories.
✓ Moral- Philosophical Criticism – evaluates
a work in terms of the ideas and values it
contains – in relation to particular ethical,
philosophical or religious system.
WEEK 4: CHARACTERISTIC OF AFRO-ASIAN
LITERATURE
Characteristics of African American Literature
➢ In broad terms, African-American literature
can be defined as writings by people of
African descent living in the United States. It
is highly varied. African-American literature
has generally focused on the role of African
Americans within the larger American society
and what it means to be an American.
The characteristics found in African American
literature are:
• Concern for identity, freedom, and independence.
• Concern with the position in a dominant society.
• Use of religious imagery, songs, settings, and the
dominance of the black church in the Southern
black community.
Characteristics and Themes
• African American literature tends to focus on
themes of particular interest to Black people, for
example, the role of African Americans within the
larger American society and issues such as
African American culture, racism, religion, slavery,
freedom, and equality.
• African American literature constitutes a vital
branch of the literature of the African diaspora, and
African American literature has both been
influenced by the great African diasporic heritage
and in turn influenced African diasporic writings in
many countries.
• African American oral culture is rich in poetry,
including spirituals, African American gospel music,
blues, and rap.
• This oral poetry also shows up in the African
American tradition of Christian sermons, which
make use of deliberate repetition, cadence, and
alliteration.
• African American literature—especially written
poetry, but also prose—has a strong tradition of
incorporating all of these forms of oral poetry.
Early African American literature
 Just as African American history predates
the emergence of the United States as an
independent country, so too does African
American literature have similarly deep
roots.
Poet Phillis Wheatley (1753–84), published her
book, Poems on Various Subjects in 1773—three
years before American independence. Born in
Senegal, Africa, Wheatley was captured and sold
into slavery at the age of seven. Brought to America,
she was owned by a Boston merchant. Even though
she initially spoke no English, by the time she was
sixteen she had mastered the language. Her poetry
was praised by many of the leading figures of the
American Revolution, including George Washington,
who personally thanked her for a poem she wrote in
his honor.
Slave narratives
o A subgenre of African American literature
that began in the middle of the 19th century
is the slave narrative.
o At the time, the controversy over slavery
led to impassioned literature on both sides
of the issue, with books like Harriet
Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin
(1852) representing the abolitionist view of
the evils of slavery, while the so-called Anti-
Tom literature by white, southern writers
like William Gilmore Simms represented the
pro-slavery viewpoint.
Post-Slavery Era
o After the end of slavery and the American
Civil War, a number of African American
authors continued to write nonfiction works
about the condition of African Americans in
the country.
o Among the most prominent of these writers
is W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963), Booker T.
Washington (1856–1915), Jamaican Marcus
Garvey (1887–1940)
Harlem Renaissance
o The Harlem Renaissance from 1920 to 1940
brought new attention to African American
literature. While the Harlem Renaissance,
based
in the African American community in Harlem in
New York City, existed as a larger flowering of
social thought and culture—with numerous Black
artists, musicians, and others producing classic
works in fields from jazz to theater—the renaissance
is perhaps best known for its literary output.
• One of the most famous writers of the
renaissance is poet Langston Hughes.
Civil Rights Movement Era
o A large migration of African Americans
began during World War I, hitting its high
point during World War II. During this Great
Migration, Black people left the racism and
lack of opportunities in the American South
and settled in northern cities like Chicago,
where they found work in factories and
other sectors of the economy.
o This migration produced a new sense of
independence in the Black community and
contributed to the vibrant Black urban
culture seen during the Harlem
Renaissance.
Why is African American literature important?
= Importance of African American Literature
Addressing the Black Experience. The role of
African American literature in recent years has been
to illuminate for the modern world the
sophistication and beauty inherent in their culture
as well as the constant struggle they experience
in the oppressive American system.
WEEK 5: EAST ASIAN LITERATURE
East Asian Literature
East Asian Literature refers to the study of literature
of the people in: China Japan Korea
*China Chinese civilization is the oldest
civilizations in the world that dates back to the Shang
Dynasty in 1765 B.C. China is known as “The Red
Dragon”.
✓ The finest era of Chinese literature was the
Tang Dynasty (618-907), when known
poets created landmark works unrivalled
elsewhere in the world.
✓ Tu Fu He is known as a poet- historian for
his portrayal of the social and political
disorders of his time and is also noted
for his artistry and craftsmanship. His
 works as a poet reveal his loyalty and
love of the country, his aspirations and
frustrations, his unbounded sympathy for the
sad plight of the common people.
Literature in China Famous Poets in Tang
Dynasty
✓ Li Po Or Li tai Po, was one of the leading
Chinese poets of the 8th century. His writings
deal with the good things of life with the
pathos of human destiny, love, friendship,
wine, nature, and simple village living.
✓ Wang Wei, He excelled in imagery, and his
poems often hold a subtle metaphysical
flavor testifying to his long study of
Buddhism. Many of his works are such
perfectly crystallized visual images that they
became favored subjects of later artists.
✓ In modern times: Chinese writers have
remained prolific. Though the social impact
of literature may be as monumental as it was
in the past, the Chinese literary tradition is
nevertheless prosperous.
✓ Notable writers: Mo Yan One of his
famous works: “Sandalwood Death”
Literature in China
✓ Though the social impact of literature may be
as monumental as it was in the past, the
Chinese literary tradition is nevertheless
prosperous.
✓ Notable writers: Wang Shuo One of his
famous works: “Please Don’t Call Me
Human” Literature in China
*Japan known as the “Land of the Rising Sun”.
 Japanese Literature Katakana – basic
alphabet in Japan which consists of 47
characters.
 The earliest writings from ancient Japan are:
The Records of Ancient Matters in Kojiki
(A.D. 712) The Chronicles of Japan or
Nihongi (A.D. 720)
Literature in Japan
 Japanese Drama 3 Types: Noh Bunraku
Kabuki Literature in Japan
 Noh Play It is the national theater of Japan.
The oldest surviving form of Japanese
theater. It combines music, dance, and
acting to communicate
 Buddhist themes. Literature in Japan
 Bunraku/ Joruri Play Also known as the
“Doll Theater” or the puppet play.
-The puppets are beautifully made and
lifelike in size. The strings are expertly
manipulated and the dialogue are
realistically interpreted
 Kabuki Play The play of the masses. It is
less intellectual, more realistic and
sensational. Literature in Japan Japanese
Poetry Man Shu (Collection of Myriad
Leaves) The oldest collection of poetry
compiled in 800 A.D.
 Japanese Poetry Haiku Shortest form of
Japanese poetry but most popular. It has 3
lines with 5- 7-5 syllables.
 Japanese Poetry Tanka A 5-line poem with
5-7-5-7-7 syllables.
 Ever since the Meiji Restoration in the 19th
century, Western influences have
penetrated Japanese literature. In the
genre of drama, playwrights who became
notable for creating world-renowned works
like: Abe Kobo Literature in Japan
Woman in the Dunes
* Korea known as the “Land of the Morning Calm”
in South Korea, while “The Hermit Kingdom” in
North Korea.
 Korea was established in 918 by King Taejo
of Goryeo dynasty. The name “Corea” was
attested in English in early 1614 and the
name “Korea” was used in the 19th century
until today. The English name Korea derives
from the word Goryeo.
 Korean is the official language of both North
and South Korea.
 Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from
the Chinese.
 Korean alphabets are called as Hangul in
South Korea and Chosungul in China and
North Korea.
 Korean Literature
 Early Korean literature was heavily
influenced by Shamanism, Buddhism and
Confucianism. Began as an oral tradition.
 Korean Literature Korean writings were
poems called hyangga.

 Korean Literature A new form of poem
developed after the Goryeo dynasty and was
called as shijo which is a 3-line poem with
14 to 16 syllables each.
 Korean Literature Modern Korean literature
gradually developed under the influence of
Western cultural contacts based on trade
and economic development.
 Korean Literature: The first printed work of
fiction in Korean was John Bunyan’s
Pilgrim’s Progress (Cheonno-yeokjeong in
Korean). Christianity found its way into
Korea, having the first complete edition of
Bible in Korean published in 1910.
 The Korean war, which led to the creation of
North and South Korea, has created an
indelible mark on Korean literature.
Themes of alienation, conscience, and
disintegration have been present in Korean
works since 1950s.
 The Korean war, which led to the creation of
North and South Korea, has created an
indelible mark on Korean literature. Self-
identity has also become a strong theme in
Korean literature such as poems, novels,
plays.
PROSE
Elements of Fiction:
Characters- are the representation of a human
being; persons involved in a
conflict.
▪ Fictional characters are classified into:
a. Protagonist – the principal character in
the story. He usually an admirable
character with whom we usually
sympathize or identify.
b. Antihero – an inept or otherwise
ridiculous character
c. Antagonist – the villain or a character in
conflict with the hero and is usually less
admirable than the hero; he creates the
conflict.
d. Fringe- one who is destroyed by his inner
conflict.
e. Typical or minor characters
▪ Ways on how characters are portrayed:
1. Dynamic or round character – a fully
developed character that recognizes
changes with or adjust to the
circumstances. He carries with him the
reality of human growth and decline.
• The Protagonists and Antagonists
are individuals who express a range
of emotion and change throughout
the narrative, usually toward greater
maturity
2. Flat character – a character who does
not grow and remains the same or a stereo
type character of conventional traits.
Because he exhibits only one side or aspect
of him, he has no depth and no changes.
• Most supporting characters are portrayed
in this way: a strict teacher, a helpful
policeman. And an evil step mother.
3. Foil character – a character who points
the qualities or characteristics of another
character.
• For example, a foolish character sets a wise
character’s wisdom in a stronger light.
Setting-The locale (place) or period(time) in which
the action of a short story, play, novel or the motion
picture takes place (also known as the background
of the story.
Conflict -The struggle or complication involving the
characters, the opposition of persons or forces upon
which the action depends in drama or fiction.
➢ Types of Conflict
Internal Conflict
- occurs when the protagonist struggles
within himself or herself.
- the protagonist is pulled by two courses
of action or by different emotions
MAN VS. HIMSELF
✓ Interpersonal Conflict
- pits the protagonist against someone
else
- person-against-person
MAN VS.MAN
External Conflict
- happens when the protagonist is in
conflict with the values of
 his or her society
MAN VS. FATE
MAN VS. SOCIETY
MAN VS. NATURE
Plot-a casually related sequence of events which
involves the character in conflict. (Beginning,
Middle, Ending)
✓ The sequence of events is called
narrative order
-chronological order the most
common type of narrative order
Point of view -the writer’s feeling and attitude
- flashback occurs when the author
toward his subject; determines who tells the story; it
narrates an event that took place before the
identifies the narrator of the story (the form of
current time of the story
narration also affects the story itself.)
- time lapse occurs when the story
skips a period of time that seems unusual
compared to the rest of the plot.
A. Exposition(beginning) introduces the
time, place, setting and the main characters
B. Complication (rising action) unfolds the
problems and struggles that would be encountered
by the main characters leading to the crisis.
C. Climax (result of the crisis) part where the
problem or the conflict is the highest peak of interest
and greatest emotion.
D. Denouement is the untying of knots or the
part that shows a conflict or a problem is solved.
E. Resolution (end) contains the last
statement of the story
➢ Qualities of Plot
i. Exciting – it should be more
exciting than the everyday reality
that surrounds us.
ii. Good structure – the episodes must
be arranged effectively, but the most
important element of plot structure is
tying all incidents together, so that
one leads naturally to another.
➢ PLOT DEVICES
a. Flashback – something out of the
chronological order: to reveal information
to understand character’s nature.
b. Foreshadowing – a device to give a sign
of something to come its purpose is to
create suspense, to keep the readers
guessing what will happen when.
c. Suspense- this is the feeling of
excitement or tension in the reader’s
experiences as the action of the plot
unfolds.
d. Surprise Ending- this is an ending that
catches the reader off guard with an
unexpected events.
e. In medias res – the technique of
beginning a story in the middle
of the action, with background
information given later in flashbacks.
• Classification (POINT OF VIEW)
1. First person is used when the main
character is telling the story.
-This is the kind that uses the "I" narrator. As
a reader, you can only experience the story
through this person's eyes. So you won't
know anything about the people or events
that this character hasn't personally
experienced.
2. Second person point of view is generally
only used in instructional writing.
-It is told from the perspective of "you".
3. Third person POV is used when your
narrator is not a character in the story.
-Third person uses the "he/she/it" narrator
and it is the most commonly used POV in
writing.
There are 3 main types of Third Person
POV:
3.1 Third Person Limited: Limited means
that the POV is limited to only one
character.
- Which means that the narrator only
knows what that character knows.
- With third person limited you can
choose to view the action from right
inside the character's head, or from
further away, where the narrator has
more access to information outside the
protagonist's viewpoint.
3.2 Third Person Multiple: This type is still
in the "he/she/it" category, but now the
narrator can follow multiple characters in the
story.
-The challenge is making sure that the reader
knows when you are switching from one
 character to another. Make the switch
obvious with chapter or section breaks.
3.3 Third Person Omniscient: This point of
view still uses the "he/she/it" narration but
now the narrator knows EVERYTHING.
-The narrator isn't limited by what one
character knows, sort of like the narrator is
God.
-The narrator can know things that others
don't, can make comments about what's
happening, and can see inside the
minds of other characters.
Mood -is the general feeling or atmosphere that a
piece of writing creates within the reader.
Tone-in written composition, is an attitude of a writer
toward a subject or an audience.
- is generally conveyed through the choice
of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a
particular subject. Every written piece
comprises a central theme or subject
matter. Every written piece comprises a
central theme or subject matter.
Symbolism -can take many forms including: A
figure of speech where an object, person, or
situation has another meaning other than its literal
meaning.
- the actions of a character, word,
action, or event that have a
deeper meaning in the context of
the whole story.
Sensory Images (IMAGERY)-is a strategy readers
use to think more deeply about a text. It is when a
reader combines their schema and the information
in the text to create an image in their mind. This
image can represent all of the five senses (visual,
smell, taste, sound, touch or feeling).
Theme -is the central topic a text treats.
-It can be divided into two categories: a work's
thematic concept is what readers "think the work is
about" and its thematic statement being "what the
work says about the subject".
**********************************************************
REVIEWER FROM STUDENT
Afro-Asian Literature – literary output of the
various countries and cultures in Africa and Asia
− Oral traditions and from the first
contemporary written and/or published
prose and poetry
− BACKGROUND: dates to the very
beginning when the first mixed race
individual started writing
− earlier written documents were based on
stories passed by word of mouth
⮲ handed from generation to
generation to entertain, educate, and
remind people about their past,
heroic deeds of their people,
ancestry, and culture
− Mirrors not only the customs and traditions
of African and Asian countries but also their
philosophy of life which on the whole are
deeply and predominantly contemplative
and hauntingly sweet
− Reflection of the storm and stress of
developing nations seeking a place under
the sun which every student must
understand so he may know how this
literature affects the history and culture of a
nation
− Sign of new and modern times
− Teaches people and allow them to learn
about different experiences and cultures
from all over the world
● Asia has extremely diverse climates and
geographic features. Climates range from arctic
to subarctic in Siberia to tropical in India and
Southeast Asia
● It is moist across southeast sections and dry
across much of the interior. Some of the largest
daily temperature ranges on Earth occur in
western sections of Asia
● The monsoon circulation dominates across
southern and eastern sections, due to the
presence of the Himalayas forcing the formation
of a thermal low which draws in moisture during
the summer. Southwestern sections of the
continent are hot
EAST ASIA
Mongolia
● China Japan
● North Korea
● South Korea
SOUTH ASIA
● Afghanistan
Maldives
Nepal
● Bangladesh Pakistan
Sri Lanka
 ● Bhutan ⮚ Youngest continent in terms of its
● India population – 50% are 19 years old or
● Iran younger
⮚ Despite some fast-growing economies, it
continues to have some of the highest child
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN malnutrition rates and lack of schooling
NATIONS (ASEAN) rates in the world
● Brunei Philippines ⮚ Considered by most paleoanthropologists to
Darussalam Malaysia
be the oldest inhabited territory on Earth,
Singapore
● Cambodia Thailand with human species originating from the
● Indonesia Vietnam
continent
● Lao PDR ⮚ Largest of the three great southward
● Myanmar projections from the largest landmass of the
Earth
AFRICA
⮚ LARGEST COUNTRY: (1) Algeria, (2)
COUNTRIES:
Lesotho Democratic Republic of Congo, (3) Sudan
● Algeria Liberia
Libya ⮚ Where proto-human fossils were found
● Angola
Madagascar
● Benin Malawi
Mali Kilimanjaro – highest mountain in Africa
● Botswana
Mouritania Kenya – second highest mountain in Africa
● Burkina Faso Mauritius
Morocco Uhuru – peak
● Burundi
Mozambiqu Ethopia – most hungry/poverty
● Cameroon e
Namibia Islam – dominant religion in Africa
● Cape Verde
Niger Apartheid – system of segregation
● Central African Nigeria
Rwanda − Apartness
Republic
Sao Tomé − Fought by Nelson Mandela
● Chad and Principe
Senegal − Enforced legal racial discrimination
● Gomoros
Seychelles Nelson Mandela – first black president
● Democratic Republic Sierra
Leone
− Leader of ANC party
of the Congo
Somalia
● Republic of the Congo South Africa
South
ASIA
● Côte d'Ivoire
Sudan Sanskrit – most ancient language
● Djibouti Sudan
Swaziland
Tamil – second most ancient language
● Egypt
Togo Tokyo, Japan – largest city
● Equatorial Guines Tunisia
Uganda
Mount Everest – highest mountain in the world
● Eritrea
Zambia − China
● Ethiopia Zimbabwe
Dead Sea – earth’s lowest elevation in land
● Gabon
− 40.5 meters below sea level
● Gambia
Nile River – longest river
● Ghana
South Korea – land of the morning calm
● Guinea
Mount Fuji – highest mountain in Japan
● Guinea-Bissau
Egypt – cradle of civilization
● Kenya − Writing system was the earliest
development
Book of the Dead
SUBREGIONS: Haiku – shortest form of Japanese poetry
Northern – Egypt
● Western – Middle – Congo Quran – sacred book of Islam
Nigeria
● Eastern – Ethiopia ● Chinese – Tibetan Family
● Mandarin – standardized, 1200 BC and 1.2B
people use it
● Highest degree of culture is respect
● Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, and
Bombay are the busiest ports in Asia
● Africa = Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean/Suez
canal, red sea,
Europe = Mediterranean Sea and Straits of
Gibraltar
Asia = Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Red
● Asia is the first largest continent with Africa
being the second largest and most populous
● “Cry the Beloved Country” told how the
Africans suffered from the Whites
● Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya share the Nile
River
● Greek, Hebrew, Armenian
● Literary works of Afro-Asian tell people about
the unique struggles and successes of Afro-
Asian people
● GENRES: playwriting, poems, prose
⮲ Poems – tells about history and culture
of the Afro-Asian people
− Haikus, ballads, or sonnets
● PLAYWRIGHTS: celebrate their own culture
and ancestry by setting plays in the past and
referencing historical events in their storylines.
When performed, this will feature backdrops
and costumes t=which reflects the culture and
unique spirit of Afro-Asian people
● PROSE: used to expose the truth, draw a
reader deeper into a story, and describe
objects, places, and people
● Body of writings – literature – word of mouth
(oral)
● South Asia = India, Afghanistan, Pakistan
NORMS AND CULTURES
Norms – standard or pattern, especially of social
behavior, that is typical or expected of a group
Culture – shared patterns of behaviors and
interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective
understanding that are learned through a process
of socialization
⮚ These shared patterns identify the members
of a culture group while also distinguishing
those of another group
⮚ The highest degree of culture is embodied
with a virtue of respecting other human,
either as an individual or a part of a
community. It is no surprise that in this
phase, people of Asia and Africa adapt the
culture of mutual cooperation
Customs and Traditions – way of doing/believing
− Philosophy of life
NORMS AND CULTURES: AFRICA
⮚ Africa has 300 distinct ethnic groups and
2,000 languages.
⮚ Home to the most genetically diverse
people on Earth. So diverse that two
Africans are more genetically different from
each other than a Chinese and European
are from each other
⮚ World’s second largest and second most
populous continent. There are generations
which do define Africa, but none are that
exclusive
⮲ Sense of Community – “Go the
way that many people go; if you go
alone, you will have reason to
lament”
− Isea of security
⮲ National unity, identifies first with
own tribe
⮚ The African idea of security and its value
depends on personal identification within
the community
⮲ Sense of Good Human Relations –
art of dialogue and conversation is a
cherished value in Africa
− People freely discuss their
problems and look for
suggestions and solutions
together. The unwillingness to
talk to people about either
private or public affairs can be
interpreted as manners or sign of
enmity
⮲ Sense of Hospitality – Africans
easily incorporate strangers and give
them lands to settle hoping that it
would go one day, and the land
would revert to the owner
− Have symbolic ways of
expressing (kola nuts, traditional
gin, coconuts)
⮚ Asian values are inter-related. They all
support the view of individual as being a
part of a much larger group or family and
place great importance on the well-being of
the group, even at the expense of the
individual
⮚ FAMILY AND EDUCATION:
 − A number of Asian students have done
conspicuously well in terms of test
scores, gifted student programs,
admissions to prestigious schools,
academic awards, and in classical
music. Though obviously not all Asians
fit this pattern,
− This trend can be attributed primarily to
the basic notion of the family
− Great importance is placed on child
rearing, and education is a fundamental
aspect of this.
− Asian parents are more likely to spend
much more time with their children and
drive them harder
⮚ RESERVE CONFORMITY AND
HARMONY:
− The greatest virtue that can achieve is
not greatness of one’s self, which is
viewed as being selfish and self-
centered, but of fulfilling his or her role
in the whole of the family or group
⮚ BENEVOLENCE AND OBLIGATION:
− Asian societies tend to be very
hierarchical
− Dependence or domination
− While children might be obligated to
follow their parent’s wishes very closely
at the expense of their own
independence, the parents are also
expected to raise support, and educate
them far in excess of what might be
expected by African standards
⮚ LOSS OF FACE, SHAME, AND HONOR:
− Losing face is one of the better known
Asian concepts
− Shame and honor go far beyond the
individual, and reflect directly upon
ones’ family, nation, or other group,
and so is taken very seriously
− Maintaining good face is a kind of
measurement of how well one has
maintained faith to traditional values,
and ones’ social standing among
others
− Strong control mechanism which
reinforces all other Asian values
NORMS AND CULTURE
GENERAL
− Afro-Asian countries usually cared for their
family first; then they are fond of their social
values; and specially, their love for their own
country.
− Active in celebrating festivals that reflects
their own characteristics as an Asian. They
are religious because they give importance
to 'The Creator' by giving thanks and
offering prayers to Him.
− Active if we talk about literature because
they are good writers.
− Talented on different branch of sports and
arts that they are about to compete
worldwide.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRO-ASIAN
LITERATURE
− African literature is as diverse as the
continent itself, but several characteristics
and themes prevail throughout much of the
written works emerging from Africa
− Great emphasis on the history, culture, and
customs of a group of people when telling
their stories
− Afro-Asian’s literary works were handed by
mouth from generation to generation to
entertain, educate and remind the people
about their past, heroic deeds of their
people, ancestry and culture.
− Sign of new and modern times. It also
teaches people and allow them to learn
about different experiences and cultures
from all over the world.
● Literature appeals to man’s higher nature and
its needs– emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and
creativity
● It entertains and gives pleasure; it fires the
imagination and arouses noble emotions and it
enriches man by enabling him to reflect on life
and by filling him with new ideas.
● Plays are not included
DIVISIONS OF LITEREATURE
PROSE POETRY
FORM paragraph stanza/verse
metrical, rhythmical,
LANGUAGE ordinary
and figurative
APPEAL intellect emotion
Convince, Stirs imagination and
AIM inform, sets an ideal life
instruct,
 imitate,
reflect
LITERARY GENRES OF LITERATURE
Non-Fiction – “real life” narration or exposition
based on history and facts
− Article, autobiography, biography, diary,
essay, memoir, speech, interview, letter
Fiction – imaginative narration, either oral or
written
− Fantasy, folklore, historical fiction, mystery,
prose fiction, science fiction, thriller,
suspense, romance, realistic fiction,
psychological fiction
Drama – meant to be acted on the stage
− Comedy, tragedy
Poetry – expressed in verse, measure and rhythm,
sound and imaginative language.
− Lyric, narrative, dramatic
Harlem Renaissance – a period in American
history from the 1920s and 1930s
− Many African-Americans migrated from the
South to Northern cities, seeking economic
and creative opportunities
− Within their communities creative
expression became an outlet for writers,
musicians, artists, and photographers, with
a particular concentration in Harlem, New
York.
− "Harlem Renaissance" did not appear in
print before 1940, and it only gained
widespread appeal in the 1960s.
− During the four preceding decades, writers
had mostly referred to a "Negro
Renaissance”
− Revival of Afro-American literature
HISTORY
⮚ With the end of the Civil War in 1865,
hundreds of thousands of African
Americans newly freed from the yoke of
slavery in the South began to dream of fuller
participation in American society, including
political empowerment, equal economic
opportunity, and economic and cultural self-
determination
⮚ By the late 1870s, that dream was largely
dead, as white supremacy was quickly
restored to the Reconstruction South. White
lawmakers on state and local levels passed
strict racial segregation laws known as “Jim
Crow laws” that made African Americans
second-class citizens
⮚ While a small number of African Americans
were able to become landowners, most
were exploited as sharecroppers, a system
designed to keep them poor and powerless
⮚ Hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
perpetrated lynchings and conducted
campaigns of terror and intimidation to keep
African Americans from voting or exercising
other fundamental rights.
ECONOMY
⮚ With booming economies across the North
and Midwest offering industrial jobs for
workers of every race, many African
Americans realized their hopes for a better
standard of living—and a more racially
tolerant environment—lay outside the
South.
⮚ By the turn of the 20th century, the Great
Migration was underway as hundreds of
thousands of African Americans relocated to
cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit,
Philadelphia, and New York.
⮚ The Harlem section of Manhattan, which
covers just three square miles, drew nearly
175,000 African Americans, giving the
neighborhood the largest concentration of
black people in the world.
⮚ Harlem became a destination for African
Americans of all backgrounds. From
unskilled laborers to an educated middle-
class, they shared common experiences of
slavery, emancipation, and racial
oppression, as well as a determination to
forge a new identity as free people
THE GREAT MIGRATION
⮚ The Great Migration drew to Harlem some
of the greatest minds and brightest talents
of the day, an astonishing array of African
American artists and scholars.
⮚ Between the end of World War I and the
mid-1930s, they produced one of the most
significant eras of cultural expression in the
nation’s history—the Harlem Renaissance.
− Old to new transformation
− Colored troops
 − Sign that black people were ● Augusta Savage
encouraged to fight
− Black people were recognized as a MOVEMENT
part of the group ⮚ Harlem was the epicenter of American
⮚ Yet this cultural explosion also occurred in culture. The neighborhood bustled with
Cleveland, Los Angeles and many cities African American-owned and run publishing
shaped by the great migration. houses and newspapers, music companies,
⮲ Alain Locke – Harvard-educated playhouses, nightclubs, and cabarets. The
writer, critic, and teacher literature, music, and fashion they created
− Dean of the Harlem defined culture and “cool” for blacks and
Renaissance, white alike, in America and around the
− “spiritual coming of age” in world.
which African Americans ⮚ As the 1920s came to a close, so did the
transformed “social Harlem Renaissance. Its heyday was cut
disillusionment to race pride.” short largely due to the Stock Market Crash
of 1929 and resulting Great Depression,
Abraham Lincoln – president of the emancipation which hurt African American-owned
of slaves businesses and publications and made less
− 6 million slaves were freed after signing financial support for the arts available from
patrons, foundations, and theatrical
LITERATURE organizations.
⮚ The Harlem Renaissance encompassed ⮚ However, the Harlem Renaissance’s impact
poetry and prose, painting and sculpture, on America was indelible. The movement
jazz and swing, opera and dance. brought notice to the great works of African
⮚ What united these diverse art forms was American art, and inspired and influenced
their realistic presentation of what it meant future generations of African American
to be black in America, what writer Langston artists and intellectuals.
Hughes called an “expression of our ⮚ The self-portrait of African American life,
individual dark-skinned selves,” as well as a identity, and culture that emerged from
new militancy in asserting their civil and Harlem was transmitted to the world at
political rights. large, challenging the racist and disparaging
stereotypes of the Jim Crow South. In doing
HARLEM RENAISSANCE CONTRIBUTORS so, it radically redefined how people of other
INTELLECTUALS MUSICIANS
races viewed African Americans and
● W.E.B Du Louis Bois understood the African American
● Marcus Armstrong experience.
Count
garvey Basie ⮚ Most importantly, the Harlem Renaissance
● Cyril Briggs Eubie instilled in African Americans across the
Blake
● Walter Cab country a new spirit of self-determination
Francis Calloway and pride, a new social consciousness, and
Duke
White Ellington a new commitment to political activism, all
PERFORMERS Billie of which would provide a foundation for the
Holiday
● Josephine Ivie Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and
Baker Anderson 1960s. In doing so, it validated the beliefs of
Josephine
● Paul Baker its founders and leaders like Alain Locke
Robeson Fats and Langston Hughes that art could be a
Waller
WRITERS AND POETS Jelly Roll vehicle to improve the lives of the African
● Zora Neale Hurston Morton Americans.
● Effie Lee Newsome
● Countee Cullen AFRO-AMERICAN LITERATURE
VISUAL ARTISTS CHARACTERISTICS
● Aaron Douglas ● Uses religious imagery
 ● Themes of freedom and independence
● Experiences of what is it like to grow up
black in America (Racial Discrimination)
● Slavery/tyranny of whites and the resistance
● Political disfranchisement
THE THREE THEORIES USED IN DIGESTING
LITEREARY PIECES
Author Dependent – perspective and the
background of the author
Text Dependent – form, style, and structure of the
literary text itself
Reader’s Dependent – perspective and own
interpretation towards the literary text of the reader
himself
CRITICISM APPROACHES
− Lenses used in analyzing literary pieces
Literary Criticism – systematic study and
evaluation of literary works.
Biographical Criticism – begins with simple but
central insight that literature is written by actual
people and that understanding an author’s life can
help readers more thoroughly comprehend the
work.
Cultural Criticism – an approach to literature that
focuses on the historical as well as social political
and economic contexts of a work.
Deconstructionism – critical dismantling of
tradition and traditional modes of thought.
Feminist Criticism – an approach to literature that
seeks to correct and supplement what may be
regarded as a predominantly made dominated
critical perspective with a feminist consciousness.
Formalist Criticism – an approach to literature
that focuses on the formal elements of a work such
as its language, structure and tone.
Gay and Lesbian – an approach to literature that
focuses on how homosexuals are represented in
literature.
Gender Criticism – an approach to literature that
explore how ideas about men and women- what is
masculine and feminine- can be regarded as
socially constructed by particular cultures.
Historical Criticism – an approach to literature
that uses history as means of understanding literary
work more clearly.
Marxist Criticism – an approach to literature that
focuses on the ideological content of work of Karl
Marx
Mythological Criticism – an approach to literature
that seeks to identify what in work creates deep
universal response in readers, by paying close
attention to the hopes, fears and expectations of
the entire cultures.
New Criticism – an approach to literature that
focuses in explication- extremely close textual
analysis.
New Historicism – an approach to literature that
emphasizes the interaction between the historic
context of the work and a modern reader’s
understanding and of the work
Post Colonial Criticism – an approach to literature
that focuses on the study of cultural behavior and
expression in relationship to the colonized word.
Psychological Criticism – an approach to
literature that draws upon psychoanalytic theories.
Sociological Criticism – an approach to literature
that examines social groups, relationship and
values as they are manifested in literature.
Reader Response Criticism- an approach to
literature that focuses on the reader rather than the
work itself.
Structuralism – an approach to literature that
examines how literary texts arrive at their meanings
rather than the meaning itself.
Queer Criticism – focused its inquiries into natural
and unnatural behavior with respect to homosexual
behavior, queer theory expands its focus to
encompass any kind of sexual activity or identity
that falls into normative and deviant categories.
Moral- Philosophical Criticism – evaluates a
work in terms of the ideas and values it contains –
in relation to particular ethical, philosophical or
religious system.
Afro-Asian & Afro-American
1. Africa composed of 54 countries and Asia is
composed of 48 countries
2. Three characteristics of Afro-Asian Lit is (1)
Diverse, (2) handed by mouth from generation to
generation, (3) sight and view at modern times
3. Characteristics of Afro-American Lit (1) Use of
religious songs, imagery and settings of the
dominance black church (2) Use of freedom and
Independence (3) Experiences, what is like to be
African (racism)
4. Major Themes of Afro-American (1) Theme of
Slavery (minor themes) (2) Terrorism and Cruelty of
the whites against blacks (racial discrimination) (3)
Resistance to terrorism (4) Dedication to human
dignity
5. Made the Afro-American Second Class Citizens
(Jim Crow Laws)
6. First Class Citizens (Whites) Asia? (China)
7. It is the Hate Group; Terrorist Group (KKK; Ku 24. What is known as the land of the rising sun?
Klux Klan) (Japan)
25. What is known as the land of the morning
Asian Literature included in the Prelim Exam
calm? (Korea)
1. What country in Asia is the most populated?
26. Highest mountain in Japan? (Mt. Fuji)
(China)
27. What country is considered as the cradle of
2. What is the largest city in Asia? (Tokyo, Japan)
civilization? (Egypt)
3. What is the most Ancient language in the world?
28. What earliest development started to be seen in
(Sanskrit)
Egypt? (Writing System)
4. What is the highest mountain in the Africa? (Mt.
29. What is the shortest form of Japanese poetry
Kilimanjaro)
which is 3 lines and 575 stanzas? (Haiku)
5. Highest Degree of culture adopted by Africans
30. What is the sacred book of the Islam? (Quran)
and Asian People? (Respecting other humans)
31. What means any of the main large land of the
6. What is the political and social system in South
earth? (Continent)
African that the American created to force racial
32. What is the type of literature that uses or
discrimination against the non-whites? (Apertite,
preliminary language such as short story, essay
something ganern)
etc, form of communication? (Prose)
7. What is the intellectual and cultural? (Harlem
33. What idea is express in the African Proverb …
Renaissance)
(Sense of community/ Idea of security)
8. What event created the transformation for Afro-
34. African oral literature is rich, which does not
American from the old to the new? (World War 1)
conclude the following groups? (Plays)
9. Who is the president who issued an executive
35. Busiest ports in Asia? (Singapore, Hong Kong,
order about the emancipation (freeing) of the
Yokohama, Bombay or Mumbai)
African Slaves? (Abraham Lincoln)
10. How many African slaves receive their ALIT311 Reviewer from PsychSoc
freedom? (6 million)11. Which country does not
Afro-Asian Literature
belong to the South Asia? (Philippines; South-East
- Reflection of the storm and stress oi developing
Asia) nation.
12. What is the highest elevation mountain in the
- Sign of new and modern times. It teaches diff.
whole world (Mt. Everest)
experiences and culture all over the world.
13. Where is Mt. Everest located in the world?
(China) - Literary output of various countries and cultures in
14. What sea has its surface in shores 430.5 Africa and Asia.
meters below sea level? The earths lowest
elevation sea on land? (Dead Sea) Common Themes of Afro-Asian Literature
15. In what state is Harlem located? (New York) - NATURE
16. What is the shared pattern of behavior and - PEACE
interactions? (Culture) - HIGHLIGHT OF THE EMOTION
17. How many distinct ethnic groups are there in
Africa? (300) Literary works were handed by mouth from
18. What is the largest of the African great lakes? generation to generation.
(Lake Victoria) Poem -History and culture of Af-As Lit.
19. What is considered the earliest record of Playwrights - Celebrate culture and ancestry by
literature written down in papyrus in 15 BC? (The setting plays.
book of the dead) Prose - Expose truth, describe objects, places, and
20. What is the longest river in the world? (Nile people etc.
River) - Purest expression of human thoughts.
21. What is the tallest statue in Africa? (African
Renaissance Monument) Asia Diverse climates & geographical features.
22. Who became known as the bean of the Harlem Southeast: moist & dry across of the interior.
renaissance? (Alain LeRoy Locke)
23. What country is known as the red dragon of
East Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, - DISPLACEMENT
Mongolia, North Korean, South Korea, and Taiwan. - TRADITION
South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, - ROOTLESSNESS
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Southeast Asia: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar),
Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Norms
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Standard pattern or behavior that is expected in a
The celebration of Nature and Life group.
One of the most consistently appearing themes in
Asian Lit. Culture
Shared patterns of behaviors and interactions.
Norms and Culture: Africa
Africa
Sense of Community
- Youngest continent in terms of population. Sense of Good Human Relations
- Oldest inhabited territory in Earth. Sense of Hospitality
- 300 ethnic groups & 2000 languages Norms and Culture: Asia
- 54 countries and has 4 subregions: - Family and Education
W – Nigeria - Reserve Conformity and Harmony
E – Ethiopia - Benevolence and Obligation
N – Egypt
M – Congo - Loss of face, shame, and honor
Algeria
Harlem Renaissance
Most populated
1920-1930 many African Americans migrated from
Tallest Statue South to North.
African Renaissance Monument Creative expression became an outlet for writers.
Apartheid Harlem, New York.
system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of New Negro Identity
race Propaganda created by prominent African-American
Mt. Kenya citizen.
2nd tallest mountain Jim Crow Laws
West Central Africa Strict racial segregation law that made African
Part of Africa were first slave go. Americans second-class citizen.
Why Harlem tenants became
Longest Lifespan
Because there is lack of jobs and massive
Asian-American (86.5 years) unemployment.
Shortest Lifespan African American (74.6 years)
Harlem
Egyptian book of the Dead Central place to voice out their racial problems.
Earliest record of literature written in papyrus, 250 New Negro Movement
BC. It was known NNM, before it became Harlem.
Characteristic of African Literature Main Cause: White Supremacy
- SLAVE NARRATIVES
Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
- PROTEST AGAINST COLONIZATION
Hate groups, to keep African Americans from voting
- CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE and exercising their other fundamental rights.
- AFRICAN PRIDE
Literature:
- HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Harlem Renaissance encompassed poetry, prose,
painting and sculpture, jazz and swing, opera, and
Major Themes of African Literature dance.
- COLONIALISM
Literary Criticism
- LIBERATION
a systematic study and evaluation of literary works.
- NATIONALISM
Biographical Criticism
begins with simple but central insight that Literature is
written by actual people and that understanding an
author’s life can help readers more thoroughly
comprehend the work.
Cultural Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses on the historical
as well as social political and economic contexts of a
work.
Deconstructionism
critical dismantling of tradition and traditional modes
of thought.
Feminist Criticism
an approach to literature that seeks to correct and
supplement what may be regarded as a predominantly
made dominated critical perspective with a feminist
consciousness.
Formalist Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses on the formal
elements of a work such as its language, structure, and
tone.
Gay and Lesbian
an approach to literature that focuses on how
homosexuals are represented in literature.
Gender Criticism
an approach to literature that explore how ideas about
men and women- what is masculine and feminine- can
be regarded as socially constructed by particular
cultures.
Historical Criticism
an approach to literature that uses history as means of
understanding literary work more clearly.
Marxist Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses on the
ideological content of work of Karl Marx.
Mythological Criticism
an approach to literature that seeks to identify what in
work creates deep universal response in readers, by
paying close attention to the hopes, fears, and
expectations of the entire cultures.
New Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses in explication-
extremely close textual analysis.
New Historicism
an approach to literature that emphasizes the
interaction between the historic context of the work
and a modern reader’s understanding and of the work.
Post-Colonial Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses on the study of
cultural behavior and expression in relationship to the
colonized word.
Psychological Criticism
an approach to literature that draws upon
psychoanalytic theories.
Sociological Criticism
an approach to literature that examines social groups,
relationship, and values as they are manifested in
literature.
Reader Response Criticism
an approach to literature that focuses on the reader
rather than the work itself.
Structuralism
an approach to literature that examines how literary
texts arrive at their meanings rather than the meaning
itself.
Queer Criticism
focused its inquiries into natural and unnatural
behavior with respect to homosexual behavior, queer
theory expands its focus to encompass any kind of
sexual activity or identity that falls into normative and
deviant categories.
Moral- Philosophical Criticism
evaluates a work in terms of the ideas and values it
contains – in relation to particular ethical,
philosophical, or religious system.
African-American Literature
African-American literature can be defined as writings
by people of African descent living in the United
States.
African American Literature
Concern for identity, freedom, and independence
Concern with the position in a dominant society
Religious imagery, songs, setting & dominance of
black church
Characteristic and Themes
Interest to black people (American culture, religion,
racism, slavery, freedom, equality)
African American literature has both been
influenced by the great African diasporic heritage
and in turn influenced African diasporic writings in
many countries.
African American oral culture
is rich in poetry, including spirituals, African
American gospel music, blues, and rap.
This oral poetry also shows up in the African
American tradition of Christian sermons, which
make use of deliberate repetition, cadence, and
alliteration.
Slave Narratives
A subgenre of African American literature that began
in the middle of the 19th century is the slave narrative.
Post-Slavery Era
After the end of slavery and the American Civil War,
a number of African American authors continued to
write nonfiction works about the condition of African
Americans in the country.
Civil Rights Movement Era
This migration produced a new sense of independence
in the Black community and contributed to the vibrant
Black urban culture seen during the Harlem
Renaissance.
Why is African American literature important?
Importance of African American Literature
Addressing the Black Experience. The role of African
American literature in recent years has been to
illuminate for the modern world the sophistication and
beauty inherent in their culture as well as the constant
struggle they experience in the oppressive American
system.

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