Question 1

What is the "New Criticism" or "Formalist" approach to reading?

Accepted Answer

New Criticism, which was prominent in the mid-twentieth century, treats a piece of literature as a self-contained, "sealed" artifact. This lens focuses strictly on "close reading," meaning the analyzer only looks at the words on the page, metaphors, and symbols to find a singular, polished meaning. Under this theory, you are discouraged from looking at the author’s biography, the historical time period, or even your own emotional response, as these are considered "fallacies" that cloud objective analysis.

Question 2

How does Structuralism differ from New Criticism?

Accepted Answer

While New Criticism looks at the specific "what" of a single book, Structuralism looks at the "how" of all books. Influenced by linguistics, Structuralists believe that underneath every story is a universal "narrative grammar" or a skeletal structure that repeats across all myths and tales. Instead of focusing on the unique genius of an author, they look for "binary oppositions"—such as good versus evil or nature versus culture—and recurring functions that generate the tension in a story.

Question 3

What do Marxist and Feminist literary theories have in common?

Accepted Answer

Both Marxist and Feminist theories move away from the idea of literature as "timeless art" and instead view it as a reflection of real-world power dynamics. A Marxist critic examines literature as a product of material conditions, looking for class struggle and the "silences" regarding labor and exploitation. Similarly, a Feminist critic looks for gendered power structures, questioning the roles women play in a story and how patriarchal frameworks might marginalize or silence female voices. Both lenses seek to "de-idealize" the text to see how it reinforces or challenges social ideologies.

Question 4

What is meant by the "Death of the Author" in Postmodern theory?

Accepted Answer

Proposed by Roland Barthes, the "Death of the Author" suggests that once a book is written, the author’s original intentions or "correct" meanings no longer matter. Instead, the "birth of the reader" occurs, meaning that the power to create meaning shifts entirely to the person reading the text. This perspective views literature as a "playground" where meaning is a fluid transaction between the page and the reader’s own history and baggage, rather than a secret code left behind by a god-like creator.

Question 5

How does Ecocriticism change the way we view the setting of a story?

Accepted Answer

Ecocriticism shifts the perspective from "anthropocentrism" (human-centered) to "ecocentrism" (nature-centered). Instead of viewing the natural world as a mere backdrop or resource for human drama, this lens asks what the environment itself is doing and whether it has its own agency. It examines how stories shape our relationship with the Earth, often critiquing "man versus nature" narratives and looking for an "environmental unconscious" that reflects our interdependence with ecosystems.

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