Lesson 9: Overview and To Do List

Overview

Lesson 9 introduces critical approaches to Literature and the Changing Roles of Women in literature.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit the learner will be able to:

· Demonstrate an understanding of literature that addresses the changing roles of women. 

· Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.

· Respond to literature with rational judgments supported by evidence.

To Do List

In order to successfully complete Lesson 9, please do the following:

Lesson Check List

Readings

· Read "Critical Approaches" A1 to A3 (textbook)

· Read "Emphasis on the Text" A4 to A9 (textbook)

· Read: 

· "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell (textbook)

· The storm by Kate Chopin

· "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin (textbook)

· "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid (textbook)

· "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (textbook)

· "Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (textbook)

· Resource to Accompany "The Yellow WallPaper"Links to an external site.  (link)

· "To The Ladies" by Mary, Lady Chudleigh (textbook)

· "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" by Adrienne (textbook)

· "The Changeling" by Judith Ortiz Cofer (textbook)

· "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou (textbook)

· "Daystar" by Rita Dove (textbook)

· "Boys and Girls" by Alice Munro (textbook)

Presentation: What is Literary Criticism?

What is literary criticism?

Literary criticism is a way to examine and explore texts through different "lenses" or areas of study. It is literally just the different ways of reading and interpreting stories, poetry, prose, drama, etc. This may be a new concept to you and that is perfectly fine. You may not understand each theory or what it is trying to do or you may only understand parts of it. All of that is okay. 

Here are a few thoughts:

· Learning criticism and theory can be daunting.

· Some scholars dedicate their entire lives studying only one or two theories. But don't lose heart! Most people find a favorite theory (like feminism) and learn how to apply it everywhere. 

· The way literature is read changes as society grows and changes.

· Feminism wasn't even a thing before the mid to late 1800's. Up until then, women had no voice and no real place outside of the home. A woman couldn't work, she was thoroughly dependent on her father, and she was often forced to marry. If her father died then she would become her brother's responsibility, or an uncle, but never her own. Before the women's suffrage movement, female presence in literature was thought to be minor. But now, scholars can take stories that have been written throughout literary history and find the strong female voice hidden everywhere. This is called doing a "feminist reading" of the text but this is how all theories work: doing a "historical reading" or "post-colonial reading".

· Critical theory helps to give us insight, as readers, and a better understanding of the story by studying the factors that influence the story.

· Scholars use journal articles to discuss, and often argue, these factors. Some scholars may openly state that they are doing a "feminist reading" (or some sort of reading) of a story but just as often, the scholar doesn't mention it outright. Therefore, it is important for you to have an idea of the different literary theories so that you are able to recognize them.

· It is also worth noting that this way of looking at things exists outside of literature as well.

· These critical approaches mirror society, which makes them beneficial to know in so many other industries like marketing and business, even the medical field. Really anything that deals with people.

A few of the more common critical theory approaches are:

· Feminism- reads text with a focus on female agency/voice.

· Formalism- reads a text and focuses on the format, diction, word choices, etc. How the story is put together physically and mechanically. 

· Gender and Queer Studies- reads a text with a focus on sexuality of marginalized groups.

· Historical Context- helps to define a text based on what was happening historically.

· There may be a difference between the author's historical context and the story's historical context.

· Social Context- defines the text based on the belief system of the society that the text was written in or written about. 

· There may be a difference between the author's social context and the story's social context.

· Post-colonialism- reads a text with a focus on the effects of 17th and 18th century European rule (the colonization of Native American, African, Indian, etc.. cultures).

Further readings:

The textbook explains literary criticism and how it works starting on page A1.

Click here to read a brief explanation over some of the more commonly used critical approaches. Links to an external site.

Discussion Board: Critical Theory

Prompt

After reading about some of the different ways to approach a text, write a 300-400 word discussion board post in which you answer the following:

· Choose one critical theory and give a brief history of it.

· How did it evolve?

· Was it a reaction to a social issue (civil rights? women's suffrage? queer theory)?

· If so, how does this prove that critical approaches mirror or change with society?

· Give examples.

· What text(s) have we read that you think work well with this approach? Why?

Guidelines

Your original multi-paragraph post should be written using academic language (though some use of first person may be appropriate), and be written clearly in complete sentences. Be sure to proofread carefully. 

No outside sources should be consulted for this assignment. You are welcome, though, to attach images or links to related items to help your classmates visualize or understand the story. (For example, if you were writing about Harry Potter, you could include an image of Hogwarts.)

Be sure you write in complete sentences.  Remember to stay school appropriate, and that all of your classmates can read your post. 

Your primary discussion post should be a cohesive 300-400-word entry.

Critical theory

Formalism

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