Understanding Critical

Lenses Through Storybooks

Objective: Understand how viewing a text through various critical lenses

(historic, feminist, marxist, race/ethnicity), can alter the interpretation. Make
claims which connect both the lens, as well as the message.

As we move through this activity, utilize the lens slide deck for helpful definitions
and questions.

Part 1 – The Giving Tree:

What claims can we make about this text based on a particular lens?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, when read through a feminist lense,
reveals that sometimes men may take advantage of a womens generosity.

Part 2 – Choice Text:

● Read the text
Which text are you using?

The Lorax

Which lens(es) can you use in reading the text?

Marxist Lens

What claims can you make about this text based on a particular lens?

The Lorax by Dr.Seuss, when read through a marxist lens, reveals that when
people get their hands on money, theyll always want more regardless of the
expense it has on others.

Select one of the claims above, and develop it in a short formal paragraph. You
can use the example from the slide deck as a model.
 The Lorax by Dr.Seuss, when read through a marxist lens, reveals that when
people get their hands on money, they'll always want more regardless of the
expense it has on others, the Once-ler is no exception to this, stating "Listen
here! Here's a wonderful chance for the whole Once-ler Family to get mighty
rich!” (Seuss, 43). This reveals the Once-lers true selfishness and how he only
cares about the money, not the wellbeing of the truffula trees or those who
need them to survive. He reiterates this point when he claims that “business is
business! And business must grow”. His selfishness can be applied to the
same idea as the marxist lense which represents the idea of how greed can
corrupt an individual.

Part 3 – Cross unit connections:

Think back to the last unit (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet). Which
critical lenses could we use to analyze the novel? What claims could we make?

Two major critical lenses that could be used to anaylze the novel would be
race/ehtnicity as well as new historicism.
● Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, when read through a
race/ethcnic lens, reveals how racial minorities are easily discrimnated
against when someone needs to be blamed.
● Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, when read through a new
historicism lense as it reflects on the Japanese war and how it effected
individuals life’s permanently.