Literary Criticism

What is Criticism?

• Criticism vs Kritik
• Kritik --> finding fault
• Kritikos --> criticism --> to judge, to decide --> value, meaning, beauty, artistry
• Criticism --> not only harsh judgement
• We are surrounded by criticism
• Daily newspaper --> e.g. review of concert
• Car magazine --> commentaries on new car
• Sports channel -- sports fans argue
• Thesis
• etc

What is Literary Criticism?

• Criticism and literary criticism
• Literature --> works of writing -->ideas of timeless, universal interest with exceptional artistry --> novel, drama, poem, prose

Main Activities in Literary Criticism

1. Interpreting

• All possible meaning, different ideas other reading
• Multi interpretation
• The interpretive question:
• What does this work of literature mean?
• When we interpret a work, we set forth one or more of its possible meanings.

2. Analyzing

• Pulling things apart
• Examining relationship
• Overall effect
• The analytic questions:
• How does this piece of literature work?
• When we analyze a text, we get under the hood to see how the engine operates
• We are not asking what a literary work means anymore but how the author makes it click.

3. Evaluating

• Personal judgment, make a decision
• The evaluative questions
• Is this work of literature any good?
• When we evaluate a work, we form a personal judgment about its worth: Is this a great novel or a rotten one? Why?
• Does this poem have any value? Why?
• What does this work of literature add - or subtract - from the world?

Two Obligations in Making Personal Judgment

1. Explain --> evidence --> actual text

2. Read other criticism --> challenge your judgment

Literary criticism --> personal judgment from a literary work --> argument --> persuade

Does Literary Criticism have any Practical Use?

• Improves Reading Skill
• Close reading
• Improves Respond to Reading
• Shallow respond >< deep respond
• Critical Thinking Skill
• Literary criticism poses intellectual challenges --> personal judgment

Functions of Criticism

• The function of Information
• This is the function of reporting to which Oscar Thompson (Woleseley, 1959:24) says criticism, "has one clear function, so central and dominating that all others may be regarded as subsidiary or supplementary". It " ... is to hold up a mirror to what has been composed or performed and to the performance." Criticism conveys information if capably written and if indeed well written it offers even a measure of entertainment.

• The Function of Influence
• In fulfilling its function of influencing readers, criticism also serves as a guide
• It also performs the function of influence by telling the viewer or reader the reviewer's opinion or what the reviewer thinks about the book
• It entertains the viewer or reader if he enjoys

• The Function of Promotion
• To many in the media industry, criticism is primarily a publicity tool, a factor in developing a favorable public attitude toward the work of art in question.

• The Function of Advertising
• Another function of criticism is to earn money directly for the medium through advertising

• The Function of Prestige
• Critical writing sometimes published for prestige by publishers or program makers who want their publications or programs to in good company and to be seen in the right places.