LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R.

Alviar

LITERARY CRITICISM: An Evaluation

of Literary Works

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CRITICISM

Lesson 1 Review of Literary Genres

Literary genre is a category

of literary composition. Genres
maybe determined by literary
technique, tone, content, or even
(as in the case of fiction) length.
The most general genres in
literature are epic, tragedy,
comedy, and creative nonfiction.
They can all be in the form of prose
or poetry. In addition, genre such as
satire, allegory or pastoral Fig. 1 A Photo of Magical Realism and
the Imminent Frame.
might appear in any of the above,
Source: Thatcher, Liam (2014). Retrieved from
https://liamthatcher.com/2014/10/01/magical-realism-and-the-
not only as a sub- genre, but as a
imminent-frame/
mixture of genres. Reference to Literary Devices (2022), genre refers to a form, class, or
type of literary work. The primary genres in literature are poetry, drama/play, essay, short
story, and novel.

Fig. 2 Titanic - Example of Romantic Genre

Source: Wanderlost (2015). Retrieved from https://shewhoiswanderlost. pg. 2

wordpress.com/2015/11/25/titanic-will-never-sink-down-our-hearts/
 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

The term genre is used quite often to denote literary sub-classifications or specific
types of literature such as comedy, tragedy, epic poetry, thriller, science fiction, romance,
fantasy, mystery, horror, magical realism, etc. Traditional literature is a genre that started
in the oral tradition. Myths, fables, epics, ballads, legends, folk rhymes, folktales, fairy
tales, trickster tales, tall tales, cumulative tales and pourquoi tales (Examples are How
the Leopard Got His Claws by Chinua Achebe and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's
Ears by Verna Aardema) are part of this genre.

21st Century Literary Genres

Trends, traditions and culture are some of the things that we can get a glimpse of
when we read a piece of literature. The works in each literary timeline represents the
things that people have gone through in each era. We can also see how humans have
progressed with technology. Literary also became a form of expressing repressed
thoughts of human minds.

The 21st century in literature refers to world literature produced during the 21st
century. The measure of years is, for the purpose of this article, literature written from
(roughly) the year 2001 to the present. 21st Century Literature is characterized as New
literary works created within the last decade, Imaginative writing, Deals with current
themes and reflects technological culture, Often breaks traditional writing, and Traces
artistic representation of shared and familiar experiences.

Another distinction from 21st century literature, unlike traditional authors,

modernists will be more in lines of free verse, no fixed rhyme scheme, or style. Ancient
literature was mainly oral, didactic and mythical, full of romanticism and idealism

Examples of 21st century Literature

• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003)

• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009)
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (2010)
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2006)

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Doodle Fiction. A literary presentation

where the author incorporates doodle

writing, drawings and handwritten graphics
in place of the traditional font. Drawing
enhances the story, often adding humorous
elements.

Graphic Novel. This genre contains

excerpts of serialized narratives. It uses a

comic book format. This is read from left to
right unlike the manga.

Manga. This is the Japanese word for

comics. This genre considered as an artistic

and flowy storytelling style. Its panels were
Fig 3 Example of Doodle Fiction –
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kenny read from right to left.
Source: Mariette (2021). 21st Century Literary Genres: Doodle Fiction, Graphic Novel, and Manga —
SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES. Retrieved fromhttps://medium.com/@mrrtdn/21st-century-literary-
genres-doodle-fiction-graphic-novel-and-manga-similarities-and-8789741110

Fig. 4 Examples of Graphic Novel

Soutrce; SLJ Reviews (2021). 17 Immersive Graphic Novels for Teens | Summer Reading 2021.
Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/story/graphic-novels-for-teens-summer-reading-2021

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Fig. 5 Examples of Manga - Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama by Hiro Fujiwara

Soutrce; SLJ Reviews (2021). 17 Immersive Graphic Novels for Teens | Summer Reading 2021.
Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/story/graphic-novels-for-teens-summer-reading-2021

Vocabulary List Guidelines

21st century literature. This refers to anything that was written and published in the year
2000s.

Doodle. This refers to a simple drawing that can have concrete representational meaning
or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, generally without ever
lifting the drawing device from the paper.

Didactic. This refers to intending to teach, or to improve morals by teaching.

Genre. This refers to a word which originates from French meaning kind or type.

Magical Realism. This refers to chiefly Latin-American narrative strategy that is

characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements into
seemingly realistic fiction.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Pourquoi. This refers to stories explain why something is the way it is, and a French word
for why; plot characteristics include an explanation for: creation, the elements of nature,
people’s actions, or animal characteristics.

Serialized Narratives. This refers to literature that is released in sequential installments,

much like the format of an episodic TV show. However, serialization is not just taking a
full novel and releasing it chapter by chapter—each published installment in a serial book
form is like its own contained short story or novella, usually with loosely connected
narratives.

Opportunities for Recall

A. Define the following.

1. 21st century literature.
2. Doodle.
3. Genre.
4. Magical Realism.
5. Pourquoi.
6. Serialized Narratives.
7. Graphic Novel
8. Manga
9. 21st Century Literary Genres
10. Didactic

B. Compare the traditional genre with 21st Century Literary Genres.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Similarities

C. Give the types of 21st Century Literary Genre. Write each genre inside each circle
below and discuss the characteristics of each type of 21st Century Literary Genre.

21st Century Literary Genre

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Mastery Assessment

Name: _______________________________ Date: _____________

Year/Section: _________________________

Read each sentence below. Write true before each item if the answer is true. Then,
write the correct answer if the statement is false.

______________1. A literary criticism answers two main questions: what was good or
bad about the work and why that particular aspect is bad or good.

_____________ 2. The act of literary criticism generally concerns with comparison,

analysis, and evaluation of literary texts.

_____________ 3. Genre analysis is a way of examining a type or style of reading in

order to better understand the conventions.

_____________ 4. Genres maybe determined by literary technique, tone, content, or

even (as in the case of fiction) length.

_____________ 5. The most general genres in literature are epic, tragedy, comedy, and
creative nonfiction.

_____________ 6. The primary genres in literature are poetry, drama/play, essay, short
story, and research.

______________7. Drawing enhances the story, often adding humorous elements is the
purpose of graphic novel.

______________8. Doodle refers to a simple drawing that can have concrete

representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or
shapes.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

______________9. Serialized Narratives. This refers to literature that is released in

sequential installments, much like the format of an episodic TV show.

______________10. Genre refers to a word which originates from a Latin word meaning
kind or type.

______________11. Graphic Novel genre contains excerpts of serialized verses.

______________12. Manga is the Japanese word for books, and considered as an

artistic and flowy storytelling style.

______________13. The 21st century in literature refers to world literature produced

during the 21st century. The measure of years is literature written from (roughly) the year
1901 to the present.

______________14. 21st Century Literature is characterized as New literary works

created within the last decade, Imaginative writing, Deals with current themes and reflects
technological culture.

______________15. The term genre is used to denote literary sub-classifications or

specific types of literature such as comedy, tragedy, epic poetry, thriller, science fiction,
romance, fantasy, mystery, horror, and documentation

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Lesson 2 Comparing Literary Criticism and Literary Approach

Literary theory and criticism aim to explain, entertain, stimulate and challenge the
student of literature. Literary theory and criticism make literature refreshing, informative
and stimulating in many ways. Some of the ways include: Literary theory and criticism
help us to achieve a better understanding of literature. A better understanding of the world
in which we live, automatically, comes along when we study literature, and the study of
critical theory makes that enterprise even more productive. Literary theory and criticism
can, not only show us our world and ourselves through new and valuable lenses, but also
strengthen our ability to think logically, creatively, and with a good deal of insight in
analyzing works of literature.

However, literary criticism is the study, evaluation and interpretation of literature is

the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature, which is
also stated in the introduction of literary criticism. Literary criticism is essentially an
opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political
context. It usually includes discussion of the work’s content and integrates your ideas with
other insights gained from research. Literary criticism may have a positive or a negative
bias and may be a study of an individual piece of literature or an author’s body of work
(Dickinson, 2021).

A literary criticism is similar to a literary analysis in the sense that it analyzes

different aspects of the text and brings them together to evaluate whether the author has
been successful in achieving his purpose. However, a literary criticism goes a step further
and evaluates the work in relation to outside theories (Hasa, 2017).

On the other hand, literary theory is a way of interpreting a work of art. When
readers and scholars engage in literary criticism, which is the practice of evaluating
literature, they often use literary theories to inform their ideas and opinions about a text.
Though the terms “literary criticism” and “literary theory” are related, they are not
interchangeable. Some scholars like to think of literary theories as eyeglasses or camera
lenses through which they can examine and evaluate works of literature or other pieces
of art. Then, what they see through each lens (each theory) becomes the focus of their

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

literary criticism. Literary criticism is a research method or a kind of scholarly discourse

that engages with literary theory (Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, 2022).

Literary theory is the idea that controls or guides the action known as literary
criticism. Literary criticism denotes action and a literary theory denotes abstract, an idea,
a set of rules. Literary theory deals with the ways to distinguish literary texts from each
other and establish categories, classifications and schools of thoughts that are apparently
visible in literary texts. Literary criticism, on the other hand, is a practical study of a literary
text that may be initiated on the basis of any particular literary theory or independently,
that deals with analyzing, interpreting, extensively studying within certain boundaries and
criteria (Mishra, 2020).

Moreover, literary theory is a description of the underlying principles, one might

say the tools, by which we attempt to understand literature. All literary interpretation draws
on a basis in theory (Brewton, 2022). To sum up, literary theory refers to the different
frameworks used to evaluate and interpret a particular work.

Vocabulary List Guidelines

Analysis. This refers to a detailed examination of anything complex in order to
understand its nature or to determine its essential features.

Criticism. This refers to a serious examination and judgment of something such as a

book or play; the analysis or evaluation of a work of art, literature, a comment, review,
article, expressing such analysis and judgment.

Discourse. This refers to a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a

dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.

Evaluation. This refers to the process of judging something or someone based on a set
of standards.

Opportunity for Recall

Give the differences between literary criticism and literary approach. Write the
descriptions in the chart below each term.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Literary Literary
Criticism Approach

Purposes and Benefits of Literary Criticism

The purpose of literary criticism is to broaden a reader’s understanding of an

author’s work by summarizing, interpreting, and exploring its value. After giving the text a
close reading, a critic formulates a comprehensive literary analysis that can inform or
challenge another reader’s understanding of the text. The practice of literary criticism
creates space for readers to better understand the beauty and complexity of the world
through literature (Master Class, 2021).

The function of literary criticism is to examine the merits and demerits or defects
of a work of art and finally to evaluate its worth. The chief function of criticism is to
enlighten and stimulate. The true critic is the one who is equipped for his/her task by a
sound knowledge of his subject. The true critic can discover the qualities of power, beauty
and depth of significance. He or she can give us a fresh point of view; he or she is
sometimes a path finder, breaking new ground, with a friendly passion. As such the
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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

primary functions of literary criticism are interpretation and judgment. Criticism is the
exercise of judgement in the area of art and literature. It is the overall term for studies
concerned with defining, analyzing, and evaluating works of literature. It refers to
description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works. Literary criticism
deals with different dimensions of literature (Namibia University, 2022).

Benefits of Practicing and Reading Literary Criticism as stated in Master Class staff
(2022), states that practicing literary criticism can:

• expand your worldview. By examining works of literature through different

approaches to literary criticism, you expand your understanding of the world
around you. Each literary style encourages the critic and reader to consider
different perspectives from their own.
• helps you better understand literature. Literary criticism can give you the
tools to study, evaluate, and interpret literary works like novels, short
stories, and poems. If you want to write a critical essay or book review about
a particular piece of literature, reading other examples of literary criticism
can help you learn how to frame your point of view.
• create opportunities for new styles of writing. With a vast number of
approaches, the practice of literary criticism creates space and context for
authors to create works of literature that push boundaries and break new
creative ground.

Literary criticism helps readers interpret the literature we read. It helps us to

understand what is important about a literary text. For example: its structure, its context:
social, economic, historical, how the text manipulates the reader. So, in short, literary
criticism helps us to understand the relationship between authors, readers, and literary
texts. The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances the enjoyment of our reading of the

literary work.

Literary Discussion vs. Literary Analysis vs. Literary Interpretation

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Traditional Critical Approaches/Techniques

The traditional critical approaches explore the wide variety of approaches to

literary criticism.

➢ Historical-biographical criticism: Historical-biographical criticism examines

literature through the perspective of the author’s historical context. This approach
assumes that the significance of a particular piece of literature is inextricably linked
to its historical context. For example, historical-biographical critics evaluate
Shakespeare’s work within the context of English literature, history, and culture
during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
➢ Moral-philosophical criticism: This literary criticism style approaches literature
based on its ethical merits. Moral-philosophical critics evaluate literary works
based on the moral statements and judgments the characters and author express
throughout the literary text.
➢ Sociological criticism: Sociological criticism evaluates literature based on its
relationship to society. The sociological criticism method examines the author’s
status in their society as well as the effect that the literary work had on its audience
within the society. One form of sociological criticism is Marxist criticism, which
examines how a specific work of literature affirms or rejects oppression within class
systems. Kenneth Burke introduced the idea of Sociological Criticism.
➢ Psychoanalytic criticism: This form of literary criticism examines literature based
on the psychological desires and neuroses of the characters within a particular
piece of literature. Psychoanalytic critics believe that an author’s unconscious
thoughts are expressed through their work.
➢ Practical criticism: This study of literature encourages readers to examine the text
without regard to any outside context—like the author, the date and place of
writing, or any other contextual information that may enlighten the reader.
➢ Formalism: Formalism compels readers to judge the artistic merit of literature by
examining its formal elements, like language and technical skill. Formalism favors

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

a literary canon of works that exemplify the highest standards of literature, as

determined by formalist critics.
➢ Reader-response criticism: Reader-response criticism is rooted in the belief that a
reader's reaction to or interpretation of a text is as valuable a source of critical
study as the text itself. Reader-response criticism considers readers' reactions to
literature as vital to interpreting the meaning of the text.
➢ New criticism: new critics focused on examining the formal and structural elements
of literature, as opposed to the emotional or moral elements. Poet T.S. Eliot and
critics Cleanth Brooks and John Crowe Ransom pioneered the approach in the
mid-twentieth century.
➢ Post-structuralism: post-structuralist literary criticism abandoned ideas of formal
and structural cohesion, questioning any assumed universal truths as reliant on
the social structure that influenced them. One of the writers who shaped post-
structuralist criticism is Roland Barthes—the father of semiotics, or the study of
signs and symbols in art.
➢ Deconstruction: proposed by Jacques Derrida, deconstructionists pick apart a
text’s ideas or arguments, looking for contradictions that render any singular
reading of a text impossible.
➢ Feminist criticism: this criticism is concerned with the ways in which literature (and
other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social,
and psychological oppression of women. Different approaches exist in feminist
criticism, there exist some areas of commonality:
• Women are oppressed by patriarchy economically, politically, socially,
and psychologically; patriarchal ideology is the primary means by which
women are oppressed.
• In every domain where patriarchy reigns, woman is other: she is
marginalized, defined only by her difference from male norms and
values.
• All of Western (Anglo-European) civilization is deeply rooted in
patriarchal ideology, for example, in the Biblical portrayal of Eve as the
origin of sin and death in the world.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

All feminist activity, including feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its
ultimate goal to change the world by prompting gender equality.

➢ Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after Karl Marx. It
examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic
development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of
communism. Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically
between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines
economic relations in a capitalist economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary
communism. Capitalist society is made up of two classes: the bourgeoisie, or
business owners, who control the means of production, and the proletariat, or
workers, whose labor transforms raw commodities into valuable economic goods.
Based on the theories of Karl Marx (and so influenced by philosopher Georg
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel), this school concerns itself with class differences,
economic and otherwise, as well as the implications and complications of the
capitalist system.

Vocabulary List Guidelines

Capitalism. This refers to economic system, which is based on a system wherein all of
the means of production (physical capital) are privately owned and run by the capitalist
class for a profit, while most other people are workers who work for a salary or wage (and
who do not own the capital or the product).

Commodities. This refers to an economic good such as a product of agriculture or

mining, agricultural commodities like grain and corn.

Neuroses. This refers to plural form of Neurosis, a mental condition which causes people
to have unreasonable fears and worries over a long period of time; it describes mental,
emotional, or physical reactions that are drastic and irrational.

Oppression. This refers to a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel
way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Patriarchal Ideology. This refers to a social structure and legitimating ideology in which
men have more power and privilege than women.

Political. This refers to set of activities that are associated with making decisions in
groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of
resources or status.

Political Context. This refers to defines the political scenario directly or indirectly
influencing the production of documents in literature.

Universal Truths. This refers to widely accepted facts which does not change over period
of time, circumstance, location, and so on, and these are the reality that are accepted
with no doubt.

Opportunity for Recall

Make a brief statement regarding descriptions of each literary approach.

Write your statement opposite of each approach for literary criticism.

1. Historical-Biographical Approach _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Moral-philosophical criticism _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Sociological Approach ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Psychoanalytic Approach____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Practical Approach ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. Formalism Approach _______________________________________________

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Reader-Response Approach ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. New Criticism Approach ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
9. Post-Structuralism _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
10. Deconstruction Approach ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
11. Feminism Approach _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12. Marxism Approach ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Mastery Assessment

Name: _______________________________ Date: _____________

Year/Section: _________________________

Read each sentence below. Write true before each item if the answer is true. Then,
write the correct answer if the statement is false.

__________1. Literary approach can be defined as the study, evaluation, and interpretation of
literature.

__________2. Literary criticism denotes action and a literary theory denotes abstract, an idea,
a set of rules.

__________3. Literary approach can give you the tools to study, evaluate, and interpret
literary works like novels, short stories, and poems.

__________4. Moral-philosophical criticism is an approach to literature based on its ethical

merits.

__________5. Psychoanalytic approach examines the effect of capitalism on labor,

productivity, and economic development.

__________6. Feminism argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of

communism.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

__________7. Marxism focused on examining the formal and structural elements of literature,
as opposed to the emotional or moral elements.

__________8. An approach that examines literature based on the psychological desires and
neuroses of the characters within a particular piece of literature is
Psychoanalytic critics.

__________9. Feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its ultimate goal to change the
world by prompting gender equality.

__________10. Deconstructionist approach looks for contradictions that render any singular
reading of a text impossible that is proposed by Jacques Derrida.

__________11. Poet T.S. Eliot and critics Cleanth Brooks and John Crowe Ransom pioneered
the New Criticism approach in the mid-twentieth century.

__________12. Reader-response criticism considers readers' reactions to literature as vital to

interpreting the meaning of the text.

__________13. Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically between
the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers.

__________14. Literary theory is a way of interpreting a work of art. literary criticism, which is
the practice of evaluating literature.

__________15. Capitalist society is made up of two classes such as the bourgeoisie (business
owners) and the proletariat (workers).

__________16. Formalism compels readers to judge the artistic merit of literature by

examining its formal elements, like language and technical skill.

__________17. Post-structuralist is a literary approach that abandoned ideas of formal and

structural cohesion.

__________18. Post-structuralism questions any assumed universal truths as reliant on the

social structure that influenced them.

__________19. Literary theory is the different frameworks used to evaluate and interpret a
particular work.

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

__________20. Moral – Philosophical and historical – biographical approaches are traditional

critical approaches.

References:

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

Archey, Karen (2013). Hymns for Mr. Suzuki. Abrons Art Center.

Brewton, Vince, 2022. Literary Theory. University of North Alabama.

Brock, Thomas, Rohrs Schmittthe, Kirsten & Investopedia Team, 2021. Marxism: Theory, Effects, and

Examples. Investopedia

Cambridge Dictionary (2022). Oppression. Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/oppression

Cambridge Dictionary (2022). Didactic. Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/didactic

Ciabattari, Jane (2015). The 21st Century’s 12 greatest novels. Retrieved from

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Collins (2022). Neurosis. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/neurosis

Dickinson, 2021. Criticism: Literature, Film & Drama: Literature Criticism. Retrieved from

https://libguides.dickinson.edu/criticism

Dictionary.com (2022). Discourse. Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/discourse

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20mean%20by%20traditional%20literature.

Dumandan, Alex Abonales 2022. 21ST Century Literary genres: Elements, Structures And
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Guide To Literary Theory and Criticism, 2022. What Is Literary Theory? What Is Literary Criticism?

Retrieved from https://www.supersummary.com/guide-to-literary-theory-and-criticism-

summary/#:~:text=Is%20Literary%20Theory%3F-
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Hasa (2016). Difference Between Literary Criticism and Literary Theory. Retrieved from

https://pediaa.com/difference-between-literary-criticism-and-literary-theory/

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literary-criticism/

Guide To Literary Theory And Criticism, 2022. What Is Literary Theory? What Is Literary Criticism?

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

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summary/#:~:text=Is%20Literary%20Theory%3F-
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Leftwich, Adrian (2015). What is politics? The Activity and Its Study. Polity Press.

Literary Devices (2022). Genre. Retrieved from https://literarydevices.net/genre/

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Mckillop Library (2022). Children's Literature: Traditional Literature. Retrieved from

https://salve.libguides.com/c.php?g=434935&p=2965213

Merriam Webster (2022). Commodity. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/commodity

Master Class Staff, 2022. Literary Criticism Explained: 11 Critical Approaches to Literature

Master Class (2021). Literary Criticism Explained: 11 Critical Approaches to Literature. Retrieved from

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/literary-criticism

MasterClass (2021) Complete Guide to Literary Themes: Definition, Examples, and How to Create

Literary Themes in Your Writing. Retrieved from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/the-

complete-guide-to-narrative-theme-in-literature-definition-examples-and-writing-how-to

Merriam Webster (2022). Definition of Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/analysis

Mishra, Alok, 2020. Difference between Literary Criticism and Literary Theory English Literature

Education. Retrieved from https://englishliterature.education/theory/difference-between-

literary-criticism-and-literary-theory/

Namibia University (20220. Literary Criticism 2016 Additional Material Rev (2).pdf. Retrieved from

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Ocay, Jahwella (2017). What is 21st Century Literature? Retrieved from

https://www.slideshare.net/jahwella/what-is-21st-century-literature

Pallipedia (2022). Evaluation. Retrieved from https://pallipedia.org/evaluation/

Pangan, Angel (2022). Doodle Fiction, Manga and Graphic Novel. Retrieved from

https://angelpangan.tumblr.com/

Powell Key, Alyson (2021). What Is Neurotic Behavior? Retrieved from

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/neurotic-behavior-
overview#:~:text=Neurotic%20means%20you're%20afflicted,effort%20to%20manage%20deep
%20anxiety.

Purdue University, 2022. Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present). Retrieved from

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and
_schools_of_criticism/reader_response_criticism.html

Purdue University, 2022. Marxist Criticism (1930s-present). Retrieved from

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and
_schools_of_criticism/marxist_criticism.html

Purdue University, 2022. Feminist Criticism (1960s-present). Retrieved from

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and
_schools_of_criticism/feminist_criticism.html

Rosser, Mariana V. & Rosser, Barkley (2003). Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy.

MIT Press.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2022). Magic Realism. Britannica

Universitat de Valencia, 2022. Literary Criticism as a Tool for Interpreting Literature. Retrieved from

https://www.uv.es/~fores/programa/hale_literarycritic.html

BYJU'S (2022). Give some examples of universal truth. Retrieved from

https://byjus.com/question-answer/give-some-examples-of-universal-truth/
Wikipedia (2022). 21st century in literature. Retrieved
fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century_in_literature

Photo Credits:
Koya University, 2022. Literary Criticism. Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/a/koyauniversity.org/lcr7529/description/objectives

Mariette (2021). 21st Century Literary Genres: Doodle Fiction, Graphic Novel, and Manga —

SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES. Retrieved fromhttps://medium.com/@mrrtdn/21st-century-

literary-genres-doodle-fiction-graphic-novel-and-manga-similarities-and-8789741110

Moore-Bridger, Paul (2022). A School for Thought II: Thinking & Unthinking. Philosophy of Education

Society of Great Britain

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School Notes (2022). School Notes 2.0. Retrieved from

https://www.schoolnotes.com/blogs/view/132164

SLJ Reviews (2021). 17 Immersive Graphic Novels for Teens | Summer Reading 2021. Retrieved from

https://www.slj.com/story/graphic-novels-for-teens-summer-reading-2021.

Study.com (2022). Define Political Context. Retrieved from https://study.com › academy › answer ›

define-political.

Thatcher, Liam (2014). Magical Realism and the Imminent Frame. Retrieved from

https://liamthatcher.com/2014/10/01/magical-realism-and-the-imminent-frame/

Wanderlost (2015). Retrieved from https://shewhoiswanderlost.

wordpress.com/2015/11/25/titanic-will-never-sink-down-our-hearts/

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Chapter 2 Periods and Movements in Literature

Literary periods are broad periods of time in which literature, including

poetry, novels, short stories, and plays, tended to share certain common themes and
elements. In some cases, there is a distinction to be made between literary periods, which
are simply historical eras during which literary works were created, and literary
movements, which are specific literary goals shared by a group or a generation of writers.
A few are literary movements with specific goals which, while informed by historical
context, were generally more precise and deliberate in their connections to each other.

The following list is just one way of outlining the major periods of historical
significance and the works produced during them. Most of the groupings described below
are literary periods, connected primarily through the time period in which they were
written. The history of American literature stretches across more than 400 years. It can
be divided into five major periods, each of which has unique characteristics, notable
authors, and representative works.

The Colonial and Early National Period (17th century to 1830)

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Chapter 2 Historical – Biographical, Moral –

Philosophical, and Sociological
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Approaches

As we have learned that evaluation is making judgment on something or someone

based on a set of standards, and literary criticism involves evaluation. Moreover, there
are various literary approaches such as Formalist, Feminist, and the like to be utilized in
order to critique a certain work of art or literature. However, the question is how are we
going to examine an art or literature using such literary approach. What are the things we
need to consider in using a particular approach in doing literary criticism?

Historical-Biographical Criticism. Historical criticism is the historical approach to

literary criticism that involves looking beyond the literature at the broader historical and
cultural events occurring during the time the piece was written. An understanding of the
world the author lived in (events, ideologies, culture, lifestyle etc.) allows for a more
comprehensive understanding of the work.

Reference to Hoffman Family Library (2022), the things to be considered for

historical critique are:

• Author's biography and social background

• When the work was written
• Ideas circulating at the time of writing
• Events occurring at the time of writing
• What the work meant to the people who first read it

Providing Guidance towards Mastery

“The sword that Heals” – chapter 2 of “Why We can’t Wait by Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. will be set as an example to demonstrate how literary criticism being done using
Historical – Biographical approach. Take up the things that are needed to be considered
in utilizing Historical – Biographical approach.

1. Author's biography and social background

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Martin Luther King, Jr., is a civil

rights legend. In the mid-1950s, Dr.
King led the movement to end
segregation and counter prejudice in
the United States through the means
of peaceful protest. His speeches—
some of the most iconic of the 20th
century—had a profound effect on the
national consciousness. Through his
leadership, the civil rights movement
opened doors to education and
employment that had long been
closed to black America.

Fig. 1 Martin Luther King, Jr., at the March,

on Washington, 1963

In 1954, when he was 25 years old, Dr. King became pastor of the Dexter
Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. In March 1955, Claudette
Colvin—a 15-year-old black schoolgirl in Montgomery—refused to give up her bus
seat to a white man, which was a violation of Jim Crow laws, local laws in the
southern United States that enforced racial segregation. Dr. King was on the
committee from the Birmingham African-American community that looked into the
case. The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) briefly considered using Colvin's case to challenge the
segregation laws, but decided that because she was so young—and had become
pregnant—her case would attract too much negative attention.

Nine months later on December 1, 1955, a similar incident occurred when

a seamstress named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on
a city bus. The two incidents led to the Montgomery bus boycott, which was urged
and planned by the President of the Alabama Chapter of the NAACP, E.D. Nixon,
and led by Dr. King. The boycott lasted for 385 days.

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By having the background information of the author, it will be easier for a

critique to comprehend a story or text because author or writer’s background
information will serve as a threshold of knowledge about the topic in examining a
literary work or looking beyond literature through historical – biographical sense.

Fig. 2 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2

of The Sword that Heals (Page 27)

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Fig. 3 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2 -

The Sword that Heals (Page 28 - 29)

2. When the work was written

After the conclusion of the Birmingham Campaign and the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, Martin Luther King commenced work
on his third book, Why We Can’t Wait, which told the story of African American
activism in the spring and summer of 1963 (Stanford University, 2022). In the
spring of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the SCLC launched a campaign in
Birmingham, Alabama, with local Pastor Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama
Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) to undermine the city’s system

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 LITERARY CRITICISM Gladys R. Alviar

of racial segregation. The campaign began on April 3, 1963, with sit-ins, economic
boycotts, mass protests, and marches on City Hall.

Thus, if we are going to trace up the Birmingham Campaign in 1963, it was

the civil rights movement - the beginning of America's "Negro Revolution". The civil
rights movement was a political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the
United States to abolish institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and
disenfranchisement throughout the United States. Hence, we can easily
understand that "Why We Can’t wait” describes the civil rights movement against
racial segregation, discrimination.

Fig. 4 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2 -

The Sword that Heals (Page 30 - 31)

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3. Ideas circulating at the time of writing

Since the time of writing of Why We Can’t Wait was during the civil rights
movement that was mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to
gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The Civil War had officially
abolished slavery, but it did not end the discrimination against Black people—they
continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South.
Struggle for social justice that truly took place. President Lyndon B. Johnson
signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—legislation initiated by President John F.
Kennedy before his assassination—into law on July 2 of that year. King and other
civil rights activists witnessed the signing. The law guaranteed equal employment
for all

Therefore, the circulating ideas at the time of writing were:

➢ Black Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States
➢ Abolished slavery
➢ End the discrimination against Black people
➢ Equal employment for all

4. Events occurring at the time of writing

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—
legislation initiated by President John F. Kennedy. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
When it was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, it
was a major victory for the civil rights movement in its battle against unjust Jim
Crow laws that marginalized Black Americans. It took years of activism, courage,
and the leadership of Civil Rights icons from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Little
Rock Nine to bring the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to fruition.

5. What the work meant to the people who first read it

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Fig. 5 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2 -

The Sword that Heals (Page 32 - 33)

Psychological and social conditions cause revolution. However, revolution

was not an indicative of sudden loss of patience within the Negro, meaning, Negro
revolution was only a result of long patience – long patience of suffering from being
shackled physically, and not just they were shackled wth purely words.

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Fig. 6 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2 -

The Sword that Heals (Page 34 - 35)

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Fig. 5 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait - Chapter 2 -

The Sword that Heals (Page 34 - 35)

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Opportunity for Application

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Sociological Criticism. This literary criticism deals with the rea life situations that give a
reader different point of view on how to perceive a society. According to Shelby Scaman
(2013), literary criticism is being done by examining the context in terms of:
• Social
• Economical
• Cultural
Reference to Beatrice Copeland (2022), in doing sociological criticism, one should
include:
• Power Structures
• Issues Of Justice and Rights
• Interactions Between Sexes
• Interactions Between Races.
• Understanding what is being employed to represent social constructs

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References:
Copeland, Beatrice (2022). How Do You Write Social Criticism? Retrieved from

https://www.dekooktips.com/recipe/how-do-you-write-social-

criticism.html#How_is_it_done_sociological_criticism

Eward-Mangione, Angela (2021). Literary Criticism. Writing Commons

Hoffman Family Library (2022). English 102: Literature and Composition. Goodwin University

Lewis, David L. (2022). Martin Luther King, Jr. American religious leader and civil-

rights activist. Britannica

National Geographic (2022). Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.? Retrieved from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/martin-luther-king-jr

Newkirk, Vann R. 2017. How 'The Blood of Emmett Till' Still Stains America Today. The Atlantic.

Rotondi, Jessica Pearce (2021) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was landmark legislation that required

decades of actions—and setbacks—to achieve. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/news/civil-rights-act-1964-steps

Scaman, Shelby (2013). Sociological Criticism. Prezi

Stanford University (2022). Why We Can't Wait. The Martin Luther King, Jr.

Research and Education Institute

Thatcher, Liam (2014). Magical Realism and the Imminent Frame. Retrieved from

https://liamthatcher.com/2014/10/01/magical-realism-and-the-imminent-frame/

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