Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The purpose of this video is to understand Literary Theory and its applications. Literary theory is a collection of ideas and methods we use to interpret and understand literature.
It's like a set of tools that helps us look at a text from different angles and uncover deeper meanings. These theories can come from various sources, including the text, historical context, and personal experiences. Now, ‘us’ here means, us, the common readers. Thus, literary theory is a means for the common, novice readers to understand a text of literature in a better, deeper manner. Literary theory is a fascinating field that examines how we interpret and understand literature. It's not just about analyzing texts; it's about understanding the context, assumptions, and perspectives that shape our reading experience. Think of it as a set of lenses that help us see literature in new and insightful ways. Literary Theory focuses on the underlying principles of literature, language, and interpretation. It provides a broad perspective on literature and helps readers understand the relationship between the author and their work. Literary theory can also help readers learn more about the intentions of different authors. It should be noted that Literary theory is not a rigid set of rules, but rather a flexible framework that can be adapted to suit different texts and contexts. By understanding the different schools of literary theory, we can become more informed and engaged readers. However, readers, generally do not put much effort into literary works. They either like it or dislike it but they do not analyze it. That work is done by Literary theorists who perform the philosophical, moral, and contextual dissection and analysis of the work and then offer their ideas and opinions about the literature.
Literary Criticism
Another closely related term is Literary Criticism. The very first thing is that ‘criticism’ here does not mean pointing out the bad things about a text. Rather, it is an act of analyzing, the act of describing the good and bad points, strengths, and weaknesses of a play, book, poem, etc. Literary Criticism focuses on the analysis of specific works of literature. It involves interpreting the meaning of a work and explaining its relevance and importance to readers. Literary criticism can also help readers understand a work's position in cultural history. We can say that Literary criticism is a kind of expert advice about a work of literature. It helps the reader to understand the piece of literature they are about to read in a better manner. Literary theorists and literary critics often reinforce each other's work. For example, literary theorists might use literary texts as examples to develop their theories, while literary critics might use a theoretical perspective to better understand a text.
Is Literary Criticism a Tool for Literary Theory:
We can say that literary criticism is a tool for literary theory.
The key difference between literary theory and literary criticism is the difference between the scales and scope of the two. Literary criticism analyzes specific works of literature, while literary theory is concerned with literature on a philosophical level. Literary theory is used to support literary criticism, and literary criticism can influence literary theory. Some critics consider literary criticism a practical application of literary theory. Literary theory provides a broader philosophical framework for how to analyze literature.
Literary criticism is the practice of studying, evaluating, and interpreting works of literature. We can say that Literary criticism denotes action and a literary theory denotes abstract, an idea, a set of rules. Literary theory consists of the many academic, philosophical, and political frameworks that literary critics can use to critique literature. These academic, philosophical, and political frameworks are the lenses that I mentioned before that a literary critic may use to analyze a particular piece of literature. However, as literary theory is flexible, a competent critic may develop a wholly new perspective, and a new lens to analyze a piece of literature.
Origins of Literary Theory and Literary Criticism:
Another term for literary theory is Hermeneutics. The term comes from Aristotle’s work "Peri Hermeneias" which is one of the earliest (c. 360 BCE) extant philosophical works in the Western tradition to deal with the relationship between language and logic in a comprehensive, explicit, and formal way. However, the concept of literary theory can be much older. We have Vedic Hermeneutics or Mimamsa of Sanskrit literature of the Vedic era.
Important Schools of Literary Theory, or Prominent Types of Literary Criticism
Literary theory enables a broad appreciation of global literature. Reading a text through the lens of literary theory provides a new perspective to better understand literature, learn more about different authors' intentions, and generally improve the quality of literature for both authors and readers. Literary theory can also influence literature, challenging texts to evolve into new territory.
There are many different schools or sections of literary theory that offer different perspectives for a reader to analyze and understand a given piece of literature. Some of the prominent schools of literary theories are-
1) Practical criticism: Practical criticism is a significant approach within literary theory that focuses on the close analysis of texts, emphasizing the reader's response to literature rather than the author's intentions or historical context. It emerged in the 1920s, primarily through the work of I.A. Richards, who conducted experiments with his students to evaluate their interpretations of poetry without any prior knowledge of the authors or contexts.
2) Cultural studies: Cultural studies is a dynamic field within literary theory that examines how cultural practices and texts are intertwined with social power structures. Cultural critics believe a text should be read entirely through the lens of the text's cultural context. Cultural studies often critique traditional literary analysis or the old school for its focus on the text in isolation. Instead, it advocates for a broader understanding that includes the cultural and historical contexts surrounding the text.
3) Formalism: Formalism is a significant school of literary criticism and theory that emerged in the early 20th century, primarily associated with Russian literary critics. It emphasizes the structural elements of a text, focusing on its form, style, and techniques rather than its social context or the author's intentions.
4) Reader-response: Reader-response theory, a significant school of literary theory, shifts the focus from the text to the reader's interpretation. It emphasizes the reader's active role in creating meaning, rather than passively receiving it from the author.
5) The 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 school of new criticism.
6) Psychoanalytic criticism: Psychoanalytic criticism applies the theories of psychoanalysis, primarily those of Sigmund Freud, to the interpretation of literature. It delves into the unconscious mind of both the author and the characters, exploring the hidden desires, fears, and motivations that drive their actions and words.
7) Marxist literary criticism: It is a method of analysis that examines literature through the lens of class, economics, and social structures. It draws on the theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who argued that society is fundamentally divided into classes: the bourgeoisie (the ruling class) and the proletariat (the working class).
8) Postmodern literary theory: is a broad and complex field that emerged in the late 20th century, challenging traditional notions of meaning, truth, and reality. It is characterized by its playful, self-referential, and often ironic approach to literature. The school includes practices of Metafiction, Unreliable narration, Fragmentation, Absurdism and Irony, Skepticism, Intertextuality, and Cultural Critique.
9) Post-structuralism: It is opposite to formalism or structuralism that questions any assumed “universal truths” as reliant on the social structure that influenced them. Roland Barthes—the father of semiotics, or the study of signs and symbols in art is considered one of the pioneers of post-structuralism.
10) Deconstruction: is a method of analysis that challenges the traditional notion of a fixed meaning within a text. It argues that language is inherently unstable and that any attempt to pin down a single, definitive interpretation is futile. The idea was proposed by Jacques Derrida.
11) Postcolonial theory: It challenges the dominance of Western thought in literature, examining the impacts of colonialism in critical theory. Edward Said's book Orientalism is a foundational text of postcolonial theory.
12) Feminist literary criticism: It is a critical approach that examines literature through the lens of feminist theory and the politics of feminism. It seeks to understand how literature reflects, reinforces, or challenges the roles and representations of women in society.
13) Queer theory: Queer theory followed feminist theory by further interrogating gender roles in literary studies, particularly through the lens of sexual orientation and gender identity.
14) Critical Race Theory: or CRT, when applied to literary theory, provides a framework for analyzing how race and racism are represented and perpetuated in literature. It examines how texts reflect and reinforce systemic racism, power imbalances, and social inequalities.
15) Critical Disability Theory: It examines disability not merely as a medical or individual issue but as a cultural, historical, social, and political phenomenon. This approach challenges traditional notions of disability and "normal" bodies, emphasizing the social constructs surrounding disability.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss various schools of Literary Theories and Literary Criticism. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and regards!
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