Module 2

THEORY AND CRITICISM

1.0 INTRODUCTION

After our entry in the portal of the study of literature in the first module, do you
feel a sort of excitement? Good if you have a positive answer and if you don’t, perhaps
a little more engagement and motivation. Just remember the good novels and readings
you have had.

This time, we’ll get a little exploratory in our discussion as we try to clear the
house of some terms and so we ask:

What is a Theory and What is Criticism?

I hope you don’t say “Not again! We already have a dose of them in our other
courses!” But you see, these are not monsters to fear. After all we need theories. Ever
heard of the expression, “facts without theories lead us to nowhere?” Without theories,
we would not know what a literary work is or how we are going to read it.

Well, this is the same reason why we are indulging in the study of theory and
criticism because they serve a purpose in clarifying the many questions that we shall
later on be asking in this course.

2.0 OBJECTIVES AND ALIGNMENT OF OUTCOMES

Know Definition and distinction of literary theory and literary criticism

Elements characterizing literary theories
Purposes of literary theories and criticism
Approaches to literary criticism

Understand The role of literary criticism in explaining the relationship of the

author, the text, and the reader
The focus of different literary lenses in analyzing a material

Do Transfer linear to non-linear text

Demonstrate tiered understanding of concepts
Construct questions as a form of reflection on a read material
Create, collaborate, and present a personal response to
a literary material capitalizing on one’s intelligence/s
Synthesize the major concepts learned in the module
Reflect on and express one’s learning experiences through
a journal

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 2
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Categories of Outcomes Target Outcomes

1 Philippine Education Outcomes PEO 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5

(Higher Education: PQF 6)
2 Teacher Education Outcomes TEO 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8
(CMO # 75 s.2017)
3 DMMMSU & CE Institutional ILO 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9
Learning Outcomes
4 BSE-English Program Outcomes EPO 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8
(CMO # 75 s.2017)
5 Course Learning Outcomes CLO (5) 1.1.1, (5) 1.3.1, (5) 1.5.1,
(PPST-BTIs) (5) 1.6.1, (5) 1.7.1, (5) 2.2.1,
(5) 2.4.1, (5) 2.5.1, (5) 3.1.1
(5) 4.2.1, (5) 4.5.1, (5) 7.1.1
(5) 7.2.1, (5) 7.4.1

3.0 LEARNING TASKS

3.1 Getting Started

Have you ever navigated a trail without map or compass? Or traveling

without a GPS navigator? How do you describe the experience of getting lost?

Write your answer/s on the space below:

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3.2 Gearing Up

Have you tried doing a literary critique? Can you describe your
experience and focus in doing literary criticism? Write your answer on the space
below.
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Fill out the first two (2) columns of KWL chart below about what you
KNOW and WANT TO LEARN about literary criticism, and later, after reading
through the module, fill-out the third column.

Know Want to Learn Learned

3.3. Reading and Understanding

Before we plunge into reading, study the concept map below and fill-in the blanks
as you read the succeeding text. Some items are already given.

Literary Criticism – What it is and what it is not Intrinsic

Approaches

evaluative

______________
Approaches

not impressionistic

__________

Pragmatic _________

__________

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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3.3.1 The Nature of Literary Theory

Do we need theories? Perhaps you may be asking this and somehow you
have some reservations about learning theories – again.

Well, you are not alone in harboring such thoughts. Tyron Lois (2006 in
Gbenoba & Okoroegbe, n.d) captured some negative feelings about studying
literary theories in the form of the following questions:

1) Why should we bother to learn about literary theories?

2) Is it worth the trouble?
3) Will those abstract concepts not interfere with one’s natural and
personal interpretations of literature?

I guess, you may have raised the same questions earlier.

But what really is a theory and what is its role in reading a literature?

A simple definition of theory is that it is a guide, a map that tells us which

way to go so we can reach our proper destination. Using this general premise, a
literary theory can be defined as the study of principles of literature, its
categories, and its criteria.

Several writers also defined literary theory as follows:

It is a body of ideas and methods used in the practical reading of

literature. (Terry Eagleton in Literary Theory, 1996 in Gbenoba &
Okoroegbe, n.d.)

It is the systematic account of the nature of literature and of the methods

for analyzing it. (Jonathan Culler in Literary Theory: A Very Short
Introduction, 1999)

Glossing from the above definitions, a literary theory functions to explain

the nature of literature in terms of how literary works are written (i.e. principles
that govern the compositions of literary texts) and how they are read (i.e.,
principles that govern the analysis and evaluation of literary works).

According to Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d), literary theory offers new ways
of thinking about literature and about what is involved in reading critically. It
imposes particular academic, scientific, or philosophical approach upon literary
texts for the purpose of discovering or developing new and unique
understandings of those texts. Literary theories provide set of principles evolved
for the evaluation of works. Through these, they said, literary works can be
interpreted and evaluated with the purpose revealing such works in terms of its
its value and richness, thus, realizing the goal of sensitizing and educating the
audience.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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3.3.2 The Study of Literary Theory

The study of literature requires knowing about the text and context. In
classifying literary theories, M. H. Abrams (1972 in Tolentino, 1997:42)
enumerated the following fundamental elements to be considered:

a) the work – the artistic product itself (poems, novels, short story,
drama)

b) the artist – producer of the work

c) the universe – subject of the work which may consist of people and
actions, ideas and feelings, material things and events, or sensible
essences

d) the audience – readers for whom the work is intended

Using the above elements, Abrams (1972 in Tolentino 1997:42) classify

and explain literary theories into four:

a) Pragmatic Theories are reader-oriented. The art is considered to be

having a purpose, that is, to affect audience, specifically to entertain,
to educate, or to inspire readers to do certain things. They view
literature as an instrument towards attaining an end and its value is
determined in its success in realizing its aim/s.

b) Mimetic Theories explain art as an imitation of what is in the universe

inasmuch as literature is seen as a mirror of what exists in the world.

c) Expressive Theories (author-based) focus on the producer of the work

of art and the one who establishes the criteria by which work is to be
judged. This implies that what the artist writes is reflective of his/her
thoughts and feelings and that his/her perceptions of the external
world are shaped through his/her mind which get transformed into art.

d) Objective Theories (text-based) explain the work by considering itself

as an autonomous whole.

It is worth mentioning this early that there is no simple theory that readers
can use in approaching the study of literature. Literature lends itself to multiple
interpretations. There are many ways of looking at literature and literary criticism
explores the many ways of reading a text. Accordingly, the cardinal rule in
literary criticism is summed up as follows: the answers you get from a text
depend entirely upon the kind of questions you put into it. This means that
one text may be seen differently by different readers.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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3.3.3 The Nature of Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism is the careful examination of texts grounded in literary

theory. It studies literary works of arts either independently or in integrated
series. Contrary to the common notion that criticism is criticizing or finding faults
as its name suggests, literary criticism is a thorough, in-depth analysis of a text.

According to Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d), literary criticism explains

literary works in terms of production, meaning, design, and beauty. They
explained that compared to movie and book reviewers who would tell whether to
watch or read a material or not, literary criticism is more focused on explaining
than evaluating. A literary critic, accordingly, gives life to literary text by
uncovering the hidden meanings. They emphasized though that a critic does not
dictate upon the readers which interpretations are correct, rather, the critic
approaches a text guided by established codes, doctrines, or aesthetic principles.
In critiquing, a critic may either arouse or kill the enthusiasm of a reader.

Moreover, it is argued that literary criticism is not an abstract intellectual

exercise but a natural response to literature, that is, it is a by-product of the
reading process (Gbenoba & Okoroegbe, n.d.; Tolentino, 1997:47).

3.3.4 Purposes and Functions of Literary Criticism

Perhaps, you may be asking in your mind - just exactly how is literary
criticism done?

Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d) opines that literary criticism begins the
moment you start thinking about what has been read. The process includes
reflecting on, organizing, and articulating a response to the literary work in terms
of relationships and patterns of meaning.

Likewise, Tolentino (1997:45-48) tells what literary criticism is and what

it is not as follows:

Literary criticism –

a) clarifies, explains, and evaluates our experiences with a given

literature

b) allows us to interrogate an author’s achievement and about the ways

in which s/he achieved it

c) measures, explores, and explains our responses and choose to

organize and define these responses and to communicate to
someone else – parents, roommate, close friends.

d) allows reflecting on, organizing, and then articulating, usually on

paper, our responses to a given literary work. Specifically,

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

§ It presupposes that a work contains certain significant

relationships and the patterns of meaning that the reader-critic
can recover and share,

§ It presupposes the ability of the reader-turned-critic to

transform his/her experiences of the work into intellectual
terms that can be communicated to and understood by others,

§ It presupposes that the critic’s experience of the work, once

organized and articulated, will be generally compatible with the
experiences of other readers such that it is possible to arrive to
a consensus of meanings among the community of readers.

Literary criticism -

a) is not merely a summary or paraphrase of the work.

b) cannot be limited to historical and biographical studies

c) is not simply a matter of doing vocabulary exercises

d) is not simply a matter of extracting a moral/lesson from the

work. Accordingly, there is a danger of misleading readers
that all literary texts function to do moralizing.

e) is not a simple impressionistic account of the literary work. It

is not just about whether you like it or not but also of having
rational judgment of the work.

Likewise, Skylar (1999) adds three more purposes of literary criticism:

a) To help us solve a problem in the reading.

b) To help us choose the better of two conflicting readings.
c) To enable us to form judgments about literature.

Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d) summarizes the process of critiquing in the

following questions:

a) Am I reading a literary text in order to measure how accurate

its representation of reality is?
b) Am I reading a literary text for insights into the life and mind of
its writer?
c) As the reader, is my role a passive or active role?
d) Is meaning ‘found’ in a literary text or is it ‘constructed’ or
‘produced’ by the reader?

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

3.3.5 Distinguishing Literary Theory and Literary Criticism

Now that we have explained literary theory and literary criticism, the next
question would be - how do we distinguish literary theory and literary criticism
and what is their relationship?

Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d.) discussed that both literary theory and
literary criticism offer different ways of interpreting works of literature using a
particular academic, scientific, or philosophical approach and following a
systematic fashion.

Accordingly, when we interpret a literary text, we are doing a literary

criticism; but when we examine the criteria upon which our interpretation rests,
we are applying literary theory. That is, literary criticism is the application of
literary theory in the analysis and evaluation of a text, whether or not a critic is
aware of the theoretical assumptions informing his or her interpretation (Gbenoba
& Okoroegbe, n.d.; Tolentino, 1997:45).

For example, Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis is a theory which can be

used in doing a literary criticism of Shakespeare’s Hamlet particularly in
analyzing his Oedipal complex.

3.3.6 Study Approaches to Literature Studies

As a literature student, it is expected that you will do a lot of studies. It is

important that you have what it takes to approach a literary material. How do we
study literature? Tolentino (1997: 35-37) suggests the following steps necessary
in studying literature:

a) Conducting literary research which involves searching for something

through library study, conducting experiments or surveys and
interviews in an attempt to discover some information to be used for
discussion of a particular subject, formulation of a principle, and arrival
of a particular conclusion. Along this line the following information are
needed:

§ Author – his life, social background, educational training, reading

habits, favorite pursuits, etc.

§ Literary work – when, where, why, how was it written as well as

the development of literary forms

§ Specific aspects of the work – e.g. symbolisms in the work. It may

focus on very large themes which require a long and painstaking
work.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 9
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Tolentino (1997:36) gave Jose Garcia Villa as an example.

Accordingly, if you are interested in studying Villa’s works, some
particulars about him may focus on the poems that caused his expulsion
from the University of the Philippines written in the 1930s. So, how do we
go about studying Villa? Tolentino (1997:36) suggests the following steps:

§ look for the controversial poems

§ examine official documents related to the controversy
§ check periodical for articles on this subject
§ locating interviews where Villa himself spoke about what
he thought of his expulsion from the university
§ how he lived his life as a recluse in New York until his
death in 1997.

b) Exhibiting literary scholarship which defines the quality of learning.

Accordingly, scholarship is demonstrated in one’s dedication to the
pursuit of knowledge and exercising care and diligence on the
assembling of facts and wisdom in the use of accumulated evidence.
This implies that a critic must be willing to sacrifice convenience in
order to work painstakingly on the projects.

3.3.7 Study Approaches to Literary Criticism

We are getting closer to the main dish of our course. Ready to take the
bite?

As a preview of the next modules, you will be introduced to different

approaches to studying literature. Specific literary theories – their underlying
concepts, methodologies, and application - will be presented and shown as to
their means of explication to analyze works of literature. But before we go into
such details, let us differentiate two general approaches – the extrinsic and
intrinsic approaches.

In his book, An Essay on Criticism, Graham Hough (1966 in Gbenoba &

Okoroegbe, n.d.) distinguishes two categories of literary theories: the extrinsic
theories which are concerned with the moral nature of literature and emphasizing
the total essence of literature and the intrinsic theories which are concerned with
the formal nature of literature and more specifically what it is.

Extrinsic Approach, according to Tolentino (1997:54), is a blanket term

that includes not just one approach but also several approaches. These
approaches emphasize different aspects of the literary work, but they are alike in
one sense: Their method of analyzing or evaluating a literary work proceeds from
an emphasis on something that is outside of the text or from an external
world.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 10
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Accordingly, extrinsic approach seeks to interpret a literary work in terms

of outside factor which is presumed to have a significant connection to the work.
This external factor, as explained, may be anything that the critic considers
useful in understanding or interpreting the work.

Moreover, according to Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d.), a work of literature,

using an extrinsic approach, is:

1) a representation of the spirit of the age and

2) a reflection of the ‘world’ in which it operates.

In discussing a literary work, a critic for example might focus on the

background of the artist. It sees literature as a product of the producer’s (poet,
novelist, playwright, essayist) imagination, vision, and sensibility in his external
world. For instance, the biographical critic assumes that a literary work cannot
be properly understood unless one has an adequate knowledge of the author’s
life. Or it may have something to do with the social context of the work. A
particular novel, for instance, may be evaluated in terms of how it is related to
actual social contexts.

Extrinsic approach may also employ the methods or concepts of other

disciplines (e.g., psychology, philosophy, music) to interpret a literary work. Other
than historical and biographical approaches, literary theories under this category
also include psychological/psychoanalytic criticism, marxism, feminism, post-
colonialism, existentialism, moralism, and others.

Whatever form the extrinsic approach may take, Tolentino (1997:75)

stresses that the most important point to consider is this: the extrinsic factor is
important only in so far as it can help us understand and evaluate the
literary work as a work of art.

On the other hand, the intrinsic approach is not to be seen as an opposite

approach but its complementary. Intrinsic approaches underscore sustained
and rigorous analysis of literary texts – particularly on its form, that is, how the
piece says what it says. According to Gbenoba & Okoroegbe (n.d.), this kind of
literary theory isolates a work of literature from its external reality; that such a
work is in its ‘own world’.

Hence, Intrinsic approach deals with the literary work in itself – in

terms of its own bearing as literature- resting on the belief that literature is best
understood in its own merits, without connecting it to things outside itself. To
interpret and evaluate a work; therefore, all that one has to do is to pay attention
to the text and nothing else (Tolentino, 1997: 79). Theories under this category
include formalism, structuralism, semiotics, post-structuralism, and
deconstructionism.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 11
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

3.4 Clearing House of Ideas

View the PowerPoint presentation, Theories and Criticism: Paradigms

and Possibilities uploaded in the class website for further discussion of the topics
presented in this module.

Questions and clarifications may also be raised during the regular virtual
meeting as scheduled or in the class chat box.

3.5 Reinforcing the Ideas Learned

For intensive reading on the topics discussed above, visit the following
sites:

Fard, S.F. (March, 2016). A Short Introduction to Literary Criticism.

International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies.
https://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/article/view/814
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&
cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjF8ZDB7KvrAhXB62EKHefSDyQ4ChAWMAR
6BAgFEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.ijhcs.com%2Findex.php
%2Fijhcs%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F814%2F719&usg=AOvVaw
0nntSRLIESdNlrzeJ27w04

Purdue University Online Writing Lab. (2020). Literary Theory and

Schools of Criticism.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_liter
ature/literary_theory_and_schools_of_criticism/index.html

Kumar, S. (n.d.). Literary Criticism and Theory.

https://www.academia.edu/34160116/literary_criticism_and_theor
y

Selden, R, Widdowson, P, and Brooker, P. (2005). A Reader’s Guide to

Contemporary Literary Theory (Fifth Edition). Great Britain:
Pearson Education Limited. In
https://www.uv.es/fores/contemporary-literary-theory-5th-
edition.pdf

Weldegebriel, B. (2017). Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism.

https://www.slideshare.net/belacheww/unit-1-introduction-to-
literary-theory-amp-criticism-74333553

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 12
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

3.6 Checking of Understanding

Activity 1: Transferring Linear to Non-Linear Text

Go over the concept map as presented in Section 3.3 and

complete the blanks.

Literary Criticism – What it is and what it is not Intrinsic

Approaches

evaluative

______________
Approaches

not impressionistic

__________

Pragmatic _________

__________

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 13
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Activity 2. Evaluating the Correctness or Falsity of a Statement

Tell whether the statement is true or false. Shade the circle

parallel to the initial letter of your choice in the Answer Sheet provided.

T F

O O 1. Literary Theory helps authors in writing a material.

O O 2. Expressive theories target the readers’ affect and encourage

action.

O O 3. Mimetic theories explain art as an extension of the external world.

O O 4. Objective theories are internally-focused on the work.

O O 5. There is no single way of interpreting a literary piece.

O O 6. Literary criticism analyzes what is written and even what is not

written.

O O 7. All literary works have morals.

O O 8. Literary critique is condensing a reading material.

O O 9. Criticism uses a rational approach in interpreting.

O O 10. Literary criticism involves judgment.

O O 11. A true literary critic is a researcher and scholar.

O O 12. Literary criticism is interrogative and prescriptive.

O O 13. Literary criticism is an intellectual guessing game.

O O 14. Every literary critique uses a theoretical lens.

O O 15. Considering the internal struggles of an author as a way of

interpreting his work is an intrinsic approach.

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 14
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Activity 3. Understanding the Focus of a Literary Criticism Approach

As you may have learned, the cardinal rule in literary criticism is:
the answers you get from a text depend entirely upon the kind of
questions you put into it.

Study each question about “orange” (Perry, n.d. in Slide Player,

2020) displayed under Column A and match the corresponding literary
criticism approach it represents under Column B. Write the letter of your
answer on the space provided before the number.
A B
(Upon seeing an orange) (Approaches)

__ 1 What is the origin of orange? Where A Intertextual

does it come from? How has it shaped
the countries who grow it?

__ 2 How does orange define Western B Formalism

culture?

__ 3 In what other countries can orange be C Gender

found and in what variety?

__ 4 To what local fruit can you compare D Reader-

orange with? Response

__ 5 What possibilities are available to a E Historical

woman who eats this orange? to a
man?

__ 6 What shape and diameter is the F Post colonialism

orange?

__ 7 Who owns the orange? Who gets to G Sociological

eat it?

__ 8 Is orange a symbol of Western H Cultural

domination? Is orange better than
dalandan? Why do we prefer orange
than dalandan?

__ 9 What does the orange taste like? What I Mimetic

does the orange remind the eater of?

__ 10 I want this orange now! Will I get into J Psychological

trouble if I eat it?
K Sociological

L Marxism

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 15
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

3.7 Extending Learning

Activity 1: Comparing and Contrasting Concepts

Compare and contrast literary theory and literary criticism using a

Venn diagram.

Literary Theory Literary Criticism

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 16
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Activity 2: Demonstrating Tiered Understanding of Concepts

Select and answer ONE (1) challenge question from the choices
given below. Choose how to present your answer as suggested based on
your preferred style.

Challenge Level 3 (15 points)

How does a text manipulate the
reader and how does the reader
shape the text?

V A
concept oral
Challenge Level 2 (12 points) map discussion
In what way does literary criticism
help readers understand what is
written and what is not written
about a text?
K
R
discussion other
essay form/s of
Challenge Level 1 (10 points) expression
What is the role of literary criticism
in understanding the relationship of
author, text, and readers?

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 17
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

Activity 3: Responding to a Literary Material

Task A. Read or watch the fairy tale Cinderella

Task B. Reflect on the material you have read/watched and write

the questions that you have entertained in your mind.

Task C. Based on the questions you ask, explain the literary lens
you would use and explain why such approach is the most
appropriate approach to use for analyzing the material.

Task D. Form a group with three (3) members. Collaborate and

present a personal response/critique to the literary
material read/watched choosing the forms suggested
below. Each group should choose three (3) tasks
following ONLY a STRAIGHT LINE (horizontal, vertical,
diagonal) to complete the Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board.

Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board

Case Role Song of

Research Play Expression

Caricature Critical/Reflexive Dance

or Satire Essay Portrayal

Petition Support Group Poster/

Letter Campaign Collage

Activity 4: Synthesizing Concepts Learned

Review the KWL chart you earlier answered and complete the
third column based on what you have learned in this module.

Know Want to Learn Learned

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

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Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

3.8 Reflecting and Sharing

In your e-journal, write about:

a. How you feel before and after taking this module (about 50 words)

b. A challenge/problem encountered in this module and the strategies

you used to overcome them (about 50 words)

c. The most important concept you learned in this module (about 50

words)

4.0 SUMMARY

In this module, you learned that:

• Literary Theory is the structure put in place to reveal the meaning of

literary text and help us achieve a better understanding of literature

• Literary theories explain the assumptions and values upon which

various forms of literary criticism rests

• Literary theory and criticism aim to clarify, explain, entertain, stimulate,

and challenge students of literature and articulating responses to a
material informed by research and scholarship

• Literary criticism approaches a text according to established codes,

doctrines, or aesthetic principles in analyzing, classifying, expounding,
and evaluating a work in order to form one’s opinion

• The literary critic serves as a bridge between the work and the reader

• Several lenses, generally categorized as extrinsic and intrinsic

approaches, can be used in analyzing a literary text

Congratulations for the job well done!

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Emmanuel J. Songcuan

Introduction to Literary Criticism 19
Module 2 : THEORY AND CRITICISM

5.0 REFERENCES

Abrams, M.H. (1953). The Mirror and the Lamp. London: Oxford
University Press.

Abrams, M. h. (1972). Orientation of Critical Theories. In 20th Century

Literary Criticism, ed. David Lodge. London & New York:
Longman,

Bennet, A. and Royle, N. (2004). Introduction to Literature, Criticism,

and Theory (Third Edition). Great Britain: Pearson Education
Limited. In
http://site.iugaza.edu.ps/ahabeeb/files/2012/02/An_Introduction_to
_Literature__Criticism_and_Theory.pdf

Burris, S.H. (2018). A Toolbox for Understanding Literature: Seven

Critical Approaches. In
https://www.skylarb.com/post/2018/09/26/a-toolbox-for-
understanding-literature-seven-critical-approaches

Critical Theories of Literature: New Lenses to See, Experience, and

Understand Literature. In
https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Dom
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