Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism

Articles

From New Criticism to postcolonial theory — comprehensive guides to every major school of literary criticism.

Learning Path — 18 articles

1 Literary Criticism — Comprehensive Guide to Critical Theory & Analysis Explore the major schools of literary criticism from New Criticism to postcolonial theory — essential tools for … 8 min Start Here 2 Close Reading — Essential Techniques for Literary Analysis Master close reading techniques — analyzing diction, imagery, syntax, figurative language, sound patterns, and narrative … 9 min Start Here 3 Formalism & New Criticism — Complete Guide to Text-Focused Analysis Explore formalism and New Criticism — the school that revolutionized literary analysis by focusing on the text as an … 8 min Start Here 4 Structuralism — Complete Guide to Structuralist Literary Criticism Understand structuralist literary criticism — Saussurean linguistics, binary oppositions, narrative structures, … 8 min 5 Post-Structuralism — Complete Guide to Deconstruction, Différance Explore post-structuralist literary criticism — deconstruction, différance, the instability of meaning, aporias, and the … 8 min 6 Derrida & Deconstruction — Complete Guide to His Philosophy Jacques Derrida's deconstruction — understanding différance, the metaphysics of presence, logocentrism, and how to apply … 8 min 7 Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism Explore psychoanalytic literary criticism — Freud, Lacan, the unconscious, the Oedipus complex, repression, dream work, … 8 min 8 Feminist Literary Criticism — Complete Guide to Gender & Literature Explore feminist literary criticism — gender analysis, women's writing traditions, gynocriticism, representation, and … 9 min 9 Postcolonial Criticism Explore postcolonial literary criticism — Orientalism, the subaltern, hybridity, mimicry, and reading literature from … 9 min 10 Marxist Literary Criticism Explore Marxist literary criticism — base and superstructure, ideology, class struggle, hegemony, and reading literature … 8 min 11 Reader-Response Theory — Complete Guide to Meaning & the Reader Explore reader-response theory — how readers create meaning, the implied reader, interpretive communities, reception … 8 min 12 New Historicism — Complete Guide to Literature & Cultural Power Explore new historicism — reading literature alongside historical texts to understand the circulation of social energy, … 8 min 13 Ecocriticism — Complete Guide to Literature & the Environment Explore ecocriticism — the study of literature and the natural world from pastoral poetry to climate fiction, … 9 min 14 Queer Theory in Literature Explore queer theory and its application to literary criticism — sexuality, performativity, homosocial desire, … 7 min 15 Narratology — Complete Guide to Narrative Theory & Story Structure Explore narratology — the systematic study of narrative structure, voice, time, focalization, and levels from Genette to … 8 min 16 Literary Symbolism — Complete Guide to Reading Symbols in Literature Understand symbolism in literature — how symbols work, conventional vs. personal symbols, allegory, archetypes, motifs, … 8 min Advanced 17 Writing Literary Analysis Master the art of writing literary analysis essays — crafting strong thesis statements, structuring arguments, using … 8 min Advanced 18 Great Literary Critics — Essential Reading List from Aristotle to Said Essential reading list of the greatest literary critics — from Aristotle's Poetics through Samuel Johnson, T.S. Eliot, … 9 min Advanced