ENGLISH 18 | LITERARY CRITICISM

NOTE TO STUDENTS

I am delighted to welcome you all to our journey through English 18: Literary Criticism.
This subject aims to provide you with a robust understanding of the major theories and
practices in the world of literary criticism, thereby fostering a deeper appreciation for
literature.

Throughout the term, we will delve into diverse critical theories such as Structuralism,
Deconstruction, Post-colonialism, Feminism, and more. We will examine how these
perspectives help us interpret texts in fresh, insightful ways, allowing us to unearth the
hidden layers and dimensions of meaning in literature.

This subject is more than just learning critical theories; it's about opening our eyes to the
ways literature interacts with our world. We'll not only analyze the works of great authors
but also explore how they reflect and shape cultural, social, and political values and
experiences.

As your instructor, I encourage active participation, questions, and thoughtful

discussions. I believe that learning is a collaborative process, and I am excited to learn
with you as we challenge ourselves to understand and appreciate literary works through
various critical lenses.

Keep an eye out for the reading list and make sure to keep up with the readings and
submissions.

Please remember that understanding and interpreting literature is subjective. It's

perfectly okay to have a unique perspective or to disagree with common interpretations.
Be ready to think independently, argue your viewpoint coherently, and respect differing
opinions.

It's also essential to note that understanding critical theory takes time and practice.
Don't be disheartened if you don't grasp a concept immediately. Remember, the goal is
not to memorize theories but to understand and apply them in a way that enriches your
reading and interpretation of texts.

We do not condone cheating and, most especially, plagiarism. Please answer your
outputs with utmost honesty and originality. Failure to do so will affect your grades in this
subject.

I am thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with you. Please feel free to reach out
to me for any assistance, clarification, or discussion. Let's make this term an inspiring and
insightful learning experience!

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Table of Contents
Page
Note to Students i
Table of Contents ii
Course Outline v
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Literary Criticism & Classical
Literary Criticism
LESSON 1: Introduction to Literary Criticism and Classical 1
Literary Criticism
LESSON 2: The Importance of Literary Criticism 6
LESSON 3: The General Steps in Literary Criticism 9
LESSON 4: Plato and Aristotle in Literary Criticism 7
CHAPTER 2: Classical Literary Criticism Continues &
Introduction to Romantic Criticism
LESSON 1: Classical Literary Criticism Continued 9
LESSON 2: Horace and Longinus: Classical Pillars of 10
Literary Criticism
LESSON 3: Wordsworth and Coleridge: The Romantic 11
Revolution in Literary Criticism
CHAPTER 3: Victorian Criticism & Introduction to Modernist
Approaches
LESSON 1: Victorian Criticism 13
LESSON 2: Matthew Arnold and Walter Pater: Victorian 14
Voices in Literary Criticism
LESSON 3: New Criticism: A Close Reading Revolution in 15
Literary Analysis
CHAPTER 4: Modernist Approaches Continued
LESSON 1: Modernist Approaches Continued: Diving 17
Deeper into 20th Century Literary Criticism
LESSON 2: Russian Formalism and Structuralism 18
CHAPTER 5: Introduction to Post-Modern Approaches
LESSON 1: Introduction to Post-modern Approaches in 20
Literary Criticism

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LESSON 2: Deconstruction 21
LESSON 3: Post-Structuralism 23
CHAPTER 6: Marxist Literary Criticism
LESSON 1: Marxist Literary Criticism: Literature Through 25
the Lens of Class Struggle
LESSON 2: Marxist Literary Criticism: An Overview and 26
Application
CHAPTER 7: Feminist Literary Criticism
LESSON 1: Feminist Literary Criticism: Shattering the Glass 28
Ceiling of Literary Analysis
LESSON 2: Feminist Literary Criticism: Overview and 29
Application
CHAPTER 8: Postcolonial Criticism
LESSON 1: Postcolonial Criticism: Unveiling Narratives of 31
Power and Resistance
LESSON 2: Edward Said and Postcolonial Criticism: 32
Decoding the West’s Representation of the East
CHAPTER 9: Introduction to Queer Theory
LESSON 1: Introduction to Queer Theory: Disrupting 34
Normative Views of Gender and Sexuality
LESSON 2: Queer Theory: Overview and Application 35
CHAPTER 10: Introduction to Ecocriticism
LESSON 1: Introduction to Ecocriticism: Nature and 37
Literature Intersect
LESSON 2: Overview of Ecocriticism and its relevance to 38
literary criticism
CHAPTER 11: Reader-Response Criticism
LESSON 1: Introduction to Reader-Response Criticism: 40
The Role of the Reader in Literary Interpretation
LESSON 2: Reader-Response Criticism: An In-depth 41
Overview
LESSON 3: The Role of the Reader in Text Interpretation: 42
An In-depth Exploration
CHAPTER 12: Psychoanalytic Criticism
LESSON 1: Psychoanalytic Criticism: An In-Depth 44
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Overview
LESSON 2: Freudian Theories and Literary Analysis: An In- 45
Depth Exploration
References 47
Tasks 48
Final Performance Task 52
Appendices 54

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 ENGLISH 18 | LITERARY CRITICISM

COURSE OUTLINE IN ENGLISH 118

Course Code: English 118

Course Name: Literary Criticism

Course Description:

This course introduces the fundamentals of literary criticism, studying various

approaches from the earliest to contemporary. Students will engage with diverse
literary texts, applying these critical theories to their readings and analyses. The course
covers key schools of thought, including formalism, structuralism, post-structuralism,
Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, and postcolonialism. Students will develop the skills
to interpret literature critically and appreciate the value of different critical
perspectives and be equipped to conduct in-depth literary analyses, articulate
informed interpretations, and contribute meaningfully to scholarly debates in literary
criticism.

Contact Hours/week: 5 hours/week

Prerequisite: ENGLISH 111, ENGLISH 112, ENGLISH 113, ENGLISH 114, ENGLISH 115, ENGLISH 116

Course Outcomes:

• Explain the key concepts and theories in literary criticism

• Discuss the main ideas, methods, and perspectives of different schools of literary
criticism and how they contribute to our understanding of literary texts.
• Apply different theories of literary criticism to analyze various pieces of literature,
and justify the chosen approach for a specific literary work.
• Critically analyze and compare different literary theories and their applicability to
specific works of literature.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and practical application of
literary criticism theories by conducting an in-depth analysis of a selected literary
work effectively presenting their findings, and critically evaluating the strengths
and limitations of the chosen theory.

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COURSE OUTLINE AND TIME FRAME

COURSE CONTENT/SUBJECT MATTER
CHAPTER 1 : Introduction to Literary Criticism & Classical Literary
WEEK 1 Criticism
• Introduction to Literary Criticism & Classical Literary Criticism
• Importance of literary criticism
• General Steps in Literary Criticism
• Plato and Aristotle
WEEK 2 CHAPTER 2 : Classical Literary Criticism Continued &
Introduction to Romantic Criticism
• Classical Literary Criticism Continued
• Horace and Longinus
• Wordsworth and Coleridge
WEEK 3 CHAPTER 3 : Victorian Criticism & Introduction to Modernist
Approaches
• Victorian Criticism
• Matthew Arnold and Walter Pater
• New Criticism
CHAPTER 4 : Modernist Approaches Continued
• Modernist Approaches Continued: Diving
Deeper into 20th Century Literary Criticism
• Russian Formalism and Structuralism
WEEK 4 CHAPTER 5 ; Introduction to Post-Modern Approaches
• Introduction to Post-Modern Approaches
• Deconstruction
• Post-Structuralism
WEEK 5 CHAPTER 6 : Marxist Literary Criticism
• Overview and application
Week 6 CHAPTER 7: Feminist Literary Criticism Overview and
application
Week 7 CHAPTER 8 : Postcolonial Criticism
• Edward Said and postcolonial criticism
CHAPTER 9 : Introduction to Queer Theory
• Overview and application
Week 8 CHAPTER 10 ; Introduction to Ecocriticism
• Overview of Ecocriticism and its relevance to literary
criticism
WEEK 9 CHAPTER 11 : Reader-Response Criticism
• Overview of Reader-Response criticism
• Exploring the role of the reader in the interpretation of a
text
WEEK 10 CHAPTER 12 : Psychoanalytic Criticism
• Overview of Psychoanalytic criticism

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Alignment of Course Outcomes with Summative Assessment Tasks
Course Outcomes
Explain the key concepts and
theories in literary criticism.
Discuss the main ideas,
methods, and perspectives
of different schools of literary
criticism and how they
contribute to our
understanding of literary
texts.
Apply different theories of
literary criticism to analyze
various pieces of literature,
and justify the chosen
approach for a specific
literary work.
Critically analyze and
compare different literary
theories and their
applicability to specific works
of literature
ENGLISH 18 | LITERARY CRITICISM
Summative Assessment Details
Tasks
Module Tasks The students will be assigned
to complete their module
tasks with tasks related to
explaining the key concepts
and theories in literary
criticism.
Module Tasks The students will be assigned
to complete their module
tasks with tasks related to
discussing the main ideas,
methods, and perspectives
of different schools of literary
criticism and how they
contribute to our
understanding of literary
texts.
Literary Theory Application In this specific research
using works from prolific writers project, students are
from Mindanao required to explore a literary
work written by our very own
prolific writers from Mindano
and its fit within the modern
literary canon. They must
research, evaluate, and
then construct a reasoned
argument. This involves
gathering information from
multiple sources, evaluating
the relevance and credibility
of that information, and
effectively communicating
their conclusions.
Comic Strip and Reflection
This activity allows students to
Paper
critically analyze and
compare different theories of
literary criticism and their
applicability to specific works
of literature in a creative and
engaging way.
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Demonstrate a In-depth Literary Analysis Students will demonstrate a

comprehensive
understanding and practical
application of literary
criticism theories by
conducting an in-depth
analysis of a selected literary
work effectively presenting
their findings, and critically
evaluating the strengths and
limitations of the chosen
theory.
Presentation comprehensive
understanding and practical
application of literary
criticism theories by
conducting an in-depth
analysis of a selected literary
work, effectively presenting
their findings, and critically
evaluating the strengths and
limitations of the chosen
theory.

Reference and Suggested Readings

"Literary Theory: An Anthology" by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan - This anthology is a
definitive collection of classic and contemporary statements in the field of literary
theory and criticism.
"The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism" by Vincent B. Leitch - This
comprehensive anthology includes a wide selection of critical and theoretical writing,
presenting a thorough introduction to the historical and contemporary modes of
literary analysis.

"A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory" by Raman Selden, Peter

Widdowson, and Peter Brooker - A clear and thoroughly updated introduction to
contemporary literary theory.

"Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide" by Lois Tyson - An accessible

introduction to the major schools of contemporary literary theory, including detailed
examples of how these approaches can be used to interpret specific literary works.

"Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory" by Peter Barry - This
comprehensive guide introduces students to the complex landscape of literary
theories, making complicated ideas accessible without oversimplifying them.
"The Routledge Companion to Critical Theory" by Simon Malpas and Paul Wake - This
resource provides an authoritative exploration of the major themes, topics, thinkers,
and debates in contemporary critical theory.
"How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading
Between the Lines" by Thomas C. Foster - While not strictly a book on theory, it's a
great reference for learning to read critically and understand some of the underlying
themes and symbols in literary works.

Prepared by:
Socorro Isobelle Marie C. Mananay

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