With this revision sheet I could manage the exam easily. It includes everything you need to know if you take this course at Universität Bremen.
based on Pope, Rob (2012): Studying English Literature and Language. An Introduction and companion. 3rd edition. Routledge.
includes:
Approaches and Methodologies in Literary Studies
Practical Criticism and (Old) New Criticism
Formalism and Functionalism
Defamiliarisation
Foregrounding
Psychological Approaches
Reader-response Theories and Criticism
Marxism, Cultural Materialism, New Historicism
Feminism, Masculinity, Queer Theory
Poststructuralism and Postmodernism
Postcolonialism and Multiculturalism
Electicism: Ethics, Aesthetics, Ecology
Media Studies
Typical Authors for each approach
Table of Contents
1. Approaches and Methodologies in Literary Studies
2. Words on the Page – Practical Criticism and (old) New Criticism
3. Devices and Effects – Formalism into Functionalism
4. Mind and Person – Psychological Approaches
5. Reader-response theories and criticism / Hermeneutics
6. Class and Community – Marxism, Cultural Materialism and New Histoicism
7. Gender and Sexuality – Feminism, Masculinity and Queer Theory
8. Relativities – Poststructuralism and Postmodernism
9. Ethnicities – Postcolonialism and Multiculturalism
10. The New Electicism? Ethics, Aesthetics, Ecology
11. From Literary to Media Studies
Objectives and Core Topics
The primary objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview of various literary theories and critical methodologies, enabling readers to analyze texts through diverse academic lenses ranging from formalist and psychological approaches to postmodern and media-focused perspectives.
- Foundational literary theories and practical criticism techniques.
- Formalist and functionalist approaches to text and language.
- Psychological models and reader-response criticism.
- Sociopolitical analysis including Marxism, Feminism, and Postcolonialism.
- The evolution of literary studies into the broader field of media studies.
Excerpt from the Book
New Criticism: John Crowe Ransom
focus on text itself & rule out life of author and his intentions
Intentional Fallacy: intention of author is not desirable/available for judging a work
Affective Fallacy: confusion between poem and its results (what it is/what it does)
imagery, tension, contrast and balance are important in a good work
aim of a poem: establish variety within unity
look out for main tensions/contrasts, structuring of plot/argument, imagery…
emphasise paradox, irony, unity →How are the parts related to the whole?
Summary of Chapters
1. Approaches and Methodologies in Literary Studies: Outlines the fundamental questions of literary theory and presents a typology of major theoretical frameworks.
2. Words on the Page – Practical Criticism and (old) New Criticism: Discusses the move toward text-centered analysis, emphasizing close reading and the role of structure and irony.
3. Devices and Effects – Formalism into Functionalism: Examines how formal literary devices create meaning and how these concepts evolve into functionalist interpretations.
4. Mind and Person – Psychological Approaches: Explores the intersection of literature and psychology, focusing on unconscious drives, latent content, and psychoanalytic models.
5. Reader-response theories and criticism / Hermeneutics: Investigates the reader's role in the construction of meaning and the interaction between text and audience.
6. Class and Community – Marxism, Cultural Materialism and New Histoicism: Focuses on the sociopolitical context of literature, including power relations and ideology.
7. Gender and Sexuality – Feminism, Masculinity and Queer Theory: Analyzes the representation of gender and sexuality and challenges traditional patriarchal structures in literature.
8. Relativities – Poststructuralism and Postmodernism: Looks at texts as shifting relations and explores the deconstruction of language and systems.
9. Ethnicities – Postcolonialism and Multiculturalism: Discusses the impact of colonialism and the plural nature of cultures in a global context.
10. The New Electicism? Ethics, Aesthetics, Ecology: Integrates moral, aesthetic, and environmental concerns into the critical practice of literary analysis.
11. From Literary to Media Studies: Transitions from traditional text analysis to intermediality and the study of new media genres like film and television.
Keywords
Literary theory, Practical criticism, New Criticism, Formalism, Functionalism, Psychological approaches, Reader-response, Marxism, Cultural Materialism, New Historicism, Feminism, Queer Theory, Poststructuralism, Postmodernism, Postcolonialism, Intermediality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary purpose of this work?
This work serves as a foundational guide to literary theory, outlining key critical frameworks and methodologies used to interpret and analyze literary texts in academic settings.
What are the central themes covered in the text?
The text covers diverse thematic areas including text-centered criticism, psychological analysis, social and historical context, gender studies, and the evolution toward media studies.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to provide a structured map of literary criticism, enabling students to evaluate the relationship between authors, texts, and readers through specific theoretical lenses.
Which methodologies are discussed?
The text explores various methodologies, including formalist approaches, psychoanalytic interpretation, Marxist analysis, reader-response theory, and poststructuralist deconstruction.
What does the main body focus on?
The main body systematically reviews historical and contemporary critical schools of thought, detailing major figures and key concepts for each approach.
How can one define the work using keywords?
The work is best defined by terms such as Literary Theory, Deconstruction, Ideology, Intermediality, and Reader-Response.
What distinguishes the formalist approach from the functionalist approach?
Formalists focus on how linguistic devices create literariness, whereas functionalists look at how those devices socialized aesthetic norms and functioned within their historical context.
How does the work address the transition to media studies?
Chapter 11 extends literary analysis to intermediality, explaining how concepts like narration and foregrounding apply to non-literary media like film and television.
- Citation du texte
- Sarah Fuhrken (Auteur), 2014, English Literature. Revision (Approaches), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/279668
