LITERARY CRITICISM:

AN OVERVIEW
 Note Taking: An Overview

The Outlining Method

- Most common form of note taking used by post-secondary
students
- Outline naturally organizes the information in a highly
structured, logical manner, forming the skeleton of a lecture

How To Use
- Write points in an organized manner based on space
indentation. Place major points farthest to the left. Indent
each more specific point farther to the right (level of
importance is indicated by distance away from left margin)
 Note Taking: An Overview (Continued)

Advantages

The outlining method emphasizes content as well as

relationships between the material. It reduces the time needed
for editing and allows for easy reviewing.

Disadvantages

This method requires more thought for accurate,

understandable organization and, therefore, cannot be used
during lectures that move too quickly.
 Note Taking: An Overview (Continued)

How to study from an outline:

● Read through one line at a time
● Explain the information and connect the idea to others
presented
● Add clue words
● Jot down keywords or details that you didn’t originally include
in the outline
● Use these keywords to jog your memory when studying from
the outline
● Recite information from the outline aloud
● Write a summary of the information presented
● Use your own words to connect the various ideas presented
in the outline in a logical manner
 What is Literary Criticism?
◼ Literary criticism is an attempt to understand the various ways that
different people read texts. Not everyone interprets a book, poem, or even
a song the same way. Theories gives readers a chance to view a text with a
different lens.
◼ Critical lens is the academic term for a way of looking at a text (and thus
interpreting it) from a specific perspective. You already do this any time you
interpret a text's meaning.
 A Sampling of Lenses

◼ There are several schools of literary theory and criticisms, so we will try to
cover the basics of the most current theories and criticisms.
◼ If there is a specific theory that interests you, let me know! I’m happy to
work at including the theory more into our class.

▪ Critical Race Theory

▪ Psychoanalytic Theory
▪ Marxist Literary Criticism
▪ Feminist Literary Criticism
▪ Gender Studies and Queer Theory
▪ Cognitive Behavioral Theory
Critical Race Theory
 Critical Race Theory
◼ Examines the appearance of race and racism
across dominant cultural modes of expression.
◼ Scholars attempt to understand how victims of
systemic racism are affected by cultural
perceptions of race and how they are able to
represent themselves to counter prejudice.
◼ Attempts to confront the beliefs and practices that
enable racism to persist while also challenging
these practices in order to seek liberation from
systemic racism.
https://media.giphy.com/media/nSAM7x9p3gqy
c/giphy.gif
Important Terms

▪White privilege: refers to the various social, political, and economic

advantages white individuals experience in contrast to non-white
citizens based on their racial membership. These advantages can include
both obvious and subtle differences in access to power, social status,
experiences of prejudice, educational opportunities, and much more.
▪Microaggressions: refer to the seemingly minute, often unconscious,
quotidian instances of prejudice that collectively contribute to racism
and the subordination of racialized individuals by dominant culture.
▪Institutionalized Racism: refers to the systemic ways dominant society
restricts a racialized individual or group’s access to opportunities. These
inequalities, which include an individual’s access to material conditions
and power, are not only deeply imbedded in legal institutions, but have
been absorbed into American culture to such a degree that they are
often invisible or easily overlooked.
 Critical Race Theory: Questions
◼ What is the significance of race in contemporary North American
society?
◼ Where, in what ways, and to what ends does race appear in
dominant North American culture and shape the ways we interact
with one another?
◼ What types of texts and other cultural artifacts reflect dominant
culture’s perceptions of race?
◼ How can scholars convey that racism is a concern that affects all
members of society?
◼ How does racism continue to function as a persistent force in
American society?
◼ How can we combat racism to ensure that all members of
American society experience equal representation and access to
fundamental rights?
◼ How can we accurately reflect the experiences of victims of racism?
 In your group, take a look at your short story and
Critical Race analyze it using Critical Race Theory. Good luck!

Theory: Practice
Borders by Thomas King

Everyday Use by Alice Walker

1. What is the significance of

race in the story?

2. In what ways does race

appear and shape the ways in
which characters interact with
one another?

3. How do the characters

combat racism within the story?

4. How can we accurately reflect

the experiences of victims of
racism?
 Archetypal Theory

◼ Developed by Carl Jung (a student of Freud), this approach accepts the

idea of the unconscious mind.
◼ Jungians argue that part of the unconscious is shared by all people. From
this perspective the term "collective unconscious" developed, a term
representing the memories of human products and activities (found in
myths, symbols, rituals, literatures) and reproduced as archetypes.
◼ Thus, archetypes are common ideas or patterns in stories because they
exist in the collective unconscious.
◼ Archetypes are figures or patterns recurring in works of the
imagination, and can be divided into three (3) categories:
▪ Archetypal Situations/Themes
▪ Archetypal Characters
▪ Archetypal Symbols
 Archetypal Situations

◼ The Quest: What the hero must accomplish in order to restore some wrong
in his homeland. Usually a search for something that will restore peace.
◼ The Task: nearly superhuman feats the Hero must perform in order to
accomplish his quest
◼ The Journey: The journey sends the hero in search of a truth that will save
his kingdom (Joseph Campbell extends this archetype in his monomyth
theory, which we will look at next).
◼ The Initiation: the adolescent hero comes into his maturity with new
awareness and problems.
◼ The Ritual: The actual ceremonies the initiate experiences that will mark
his rite of passage into another state.
◼ The Fall: descent from a higher to lower state of being usually a result of
punishment for wrongdoing. Loss of innocence.
 Archetypal Situations (continued)

◼ Death and Rebirth: The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif
grows out of a parallel between cycle of nature and cycle of life.
Morning/springtime=birth, night/winter=death
◼ Battle between good and evil: battle between 2 primal forces. Mankind shows
eternal optimism in the belief that good conquers evil even despite great odds.
◼ The Unhealable Wound: a physical or psychological wound that cannot be
completely healed. Symbolizes a loss of innocence.
◼ Father and Son Conflict: In this relationship, the tension is built due to
separation from childhood or some other source when the two meet as men.
◼ Creation: Things are made or built by a male creator, or things are birthed by a
female creator.
◼ Metamorphosis: A change of character triggered by desire.
 Archetypes in
Lord of the Rings
The Task: having to
overcome powerful
mythical creatures
which seems
impossible for an
ordinary Hobbit.

The Quest: To destroy the

ring to rid the world of
uncontrollable lust for
power. The Journey: Frodo must destroy the ring to save
Middle Earth from evil.
Death and Rebirth: Gandalf dies and is reborn as
Gandalf the White.

Unhealable Wound: Frodo is stabbed on Weather

Top and receives an unhealable wound that creates
a strong connection between him and the dark
forces. Loss of innocence because he is tainted by
evil.
Metamorphosis: The desire for the
ring and power changes all who
come into contact with it.
 Archetypal Situations: The Journey

◼ Joseph Campbell states that the hero’s journey could be broken into 3
major stages in his monomyth theory:
1. Departure/Separation Stage: the hero is called to adventure, although
he is reluctant to accept.
▪ Initiation: The hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world.
2. Struggle/Road of Trials Stage: The hero is given supernatural aid,
endures a test of strength, resourcefulness and endurance.
▪ The Abyss: the hero descends into an underworld of great trial. Sometimes
this place is within hero’s mind. After this trial, the hero is reborn in some way
and he changes internally.
3. Return Stage: the hero uses his new wisdom to restore peace to his land.
ARCHETYPAL SITUATIONS: THE JOURNEY
 Archetypal Characters

◼ The Hero: The protagonist whose life is either on literal or figurative

journey.
▪ Hero as Warrior: This hero must leave the world he knows and embark on a
journey that with physical challenges and external enemies before returning
home with a new level of understanding.
▪ Hero as Lover: Pure love motivates hero to complete his quest.
▪ Hero as Scapegoat: Hero suffers for the sake of others.
▪ Tragic Hero: His fatal flaw brings about his downfall, but not before achieving
some kind of transformation or realization.
◼ Mentor: The mentor is an older, wiser teacher. They often serve as a
father/mother figure. Gives the hero a gift (weapons, food, magic,
information). Serves as a role model.
◼ Threshold Guardian: Tests the hero’s courage and worthiness to begin
journey.
The Hero

The Mentor

Threshold Guardians
 Archetypal Characters (Continued)

◼ The Hunting Group: These are loyal companions willing to face hardship
and ordeal in order to stay together.
◼ Friendly Beast: An animal companion showing that nature is on hero’s
side.
◼ The Shadow: worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle in a
fight to the end. Psychologically represents the darker side of hero’s
psyche.
◼ The Self: represents the unification of the unconsciousness and
consciousness of the individual. Creation of self occurs through process of
individuation, in which various aspects of personality are integrated.
◼ The Persona: how we present ourselves in the world. The different social
masks we wear in different situations shield our unconscious from negative
images.
 The Shadow

The Hunting Group

The friendly Beast The Self

 Archetypal Characters (Continued)

◼ The Anima/Animus: Anima is a a feminine image in the male psyche and

the animus is a masculine image in the female psyche.
◼ The Devil Figure: This character is evil incarnate and tempts the hero.
◼ The Villain: aka Antagonist. An “evil” character in a story that has a
negative effect on other characters.
◼ The Scapegoat: a character whose death in a public ceremony redeems
some taint or sin of a community. More powerful in death than in life.
◼ The Outcast: A character banished from a social group for some real or
imagined crime against his fellow man.
 Villain (take
your pick)

Anima

Devil Figure

Outcast
 Archetypal Characters (Continued)

◼ The Ideal Woman: a woman who is a source of inspiration to the hero, who
inspires his best through an intellectual, rather than physical, attraction to
her.
◼ The Damsel in Distress: Usually a vulnerable, helpless woman in physical
or emotional distress who needs to be rescued by the hero.
◼ The Earth Mother: Traditionally offers spiritual and emotional
nourishment to those she comes into contact with.
◼ The Temptress or Black Goddess: Characterized by sensuous beauty, this
woman is one to whom the hero is physically attracted and usually brings
about his downfall.
◼ Star-crossed Lovers: Two characters engaged in a love affair fated to end
tragically for one or both due to society, friends or family.
 Archetypal Characters (Continued)

◼ The Trickster: A clever, mischievous man/creature who tries to survive

dangers and challenges in the world using trickery and deceit.
◼ The Great Teacher: This character is benevolent, caring and a good
teacher. They are willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others.
◼ Modern Examples of Archetypes: the geek, the rebel, prince charming, the
underdog, emo, cynic, etc.
Ideal Woman/Earth Mother

The Great Teacher The Trickster

 Archetypal Images and/or Symbols

◼ Light vs Dark: Light=hope, renewal, intellectual illumination.

Dark=unknown, ignorance, despair.
◼ Water vs Desert: Water=baptism, purification, redemption, sadness,
resurrection. Desert=death, nihilism, hopelessness.
◼ Garden/Trees: Garden=allusion to Eden, unspoiled beauty, innocence and
fertility. Trees=life and immortality.
◼ Fire and Ice: Fire=knowledge, light, life, rebirth. Ice=ignorance, darkness,
sterility and death.
◼ The Threshold: gateway to a new world which a hero must enter in order
to grow.
◼ The Underworld: A place of death, or metaphorically, an encounter with
the dark side of the psyche. Facing fear of death.
Archetypal Images and/or Symbols (Continued)

◼ Haven vs Wilderness: Place of safety contrasts sharply with a dangerous

wilderness.
◼ The Serpent: energy, evil, brute force, corruption, sensuality, destruction,
mystery and wisdom.
◼ The Egg: the mystery of life.
◼ The Crossroads: symbolizes a time when a decision needs to be made.
◼ The Maze: puzzling dilemma or great uncertainty. Monster is at the center
of the maze, representing darkness within one’s self.
◼ The Castle: A strong place of safety which holds treasure.
◼ The Tower: place of evil. Represents isolation.
◼ The Magic Weapon: needed by hero to complete his quest. Represents
inner strength.
Archetypal Images and/or Symbols (Continued)

◼ The Whirlpool: destructive power of nature or fate.

◼ Fog: uncertainty.
◼ Colors:
▪ Red: blood, sacrifice, violent passion, disorder.
▪ Green: growth, hope, fertility, sensation. Could also symbolize decaying and
death.
▪ Blue: highly positive, security, tranquility, spiritual purity.
▪ Black: darkness, chaos, mystery, death, wisdom, evil, sadness.
▪ White: light, purity, innocence, timelessness.
▪ Yellow: enlightenment, wisdom
◼ Numbers:
▪ 3: light, spiritual awareness, unity (trinity), power, male principle
▪ 4: associated with circle, life cycle, four seasons, female principle, earth, nature,
elements.
▪ 7: union of 3 & 4 making it completion of a cycle and therefore a perfect order.
Religious symbol.
 Cognitive Behavioral Theory

● The belief that an individual’s cognitions

(mental abilities) play a significant and
primary role in the development and
maintenance of emotional and behavioural
responses to life situations
● The way we think about our reality is central
to how we react to that reality
● Therefore we must consider one’s motives
based on one’s mental health state at the
time of a decision.
 Cognitive Behavioral Theory

Questions to Consider:

● How is a character’s mental health affecting

their decisions?
● What, if any, maladaptive coping strategies is
the character using?
● How does a character’s mental health
change as the story progresses?
Cognitive Behaviour Theory
Apply the theory to the short animated film “Tzadik”
Psychoanalytic Theory
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ Based on Sigmund Freud’s theories about the human psyche.

▪ This theory states human’s actions are driven by sexual and innate desires which
are primarily unconscious (below the surface so that we are not fully aware of
them).
▪ Freud interpreted dreams, and slips of speech, as examples of the desires of the
unconscious mind.
◼ The mind has three (3) major components:
▪ Conscious: what you are aware of at any particular moment, including thoughts,
feelings, and memories.
▪ Preconscious: anything that could easily be made conscious. Memories you are
not currently thinking about, but can come forward into the conscious.
▪ Unconscious: all the things we are not aware of. Things like our drives or
instincts, memories that we have repressed because we can’t bear to look at
them.
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ Our conscious and preconscious

make up a very small part of our
psyche. The unconscious, that
which is below the surface,
makes up the majority. This is
often compared to an iceberg,
since 80% of it is below the
surface.
◼ These parts of our
consciousness are further
divided into three parts of the
self called the ID, the EGO, and
the SUPEREGO.
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ The ID
▪ Lives completely in our unconscious mind.
▪ This is the personality structure we’re born with, before we ever learn social rules.
▪ Works with the pleasure principle: the demand to take care of needs immediately.
▪ Represents our innate needs/drives that want immediate gratification for
self-desires/wants: attention, safety, food, sex, aggression, etc.
◼ The EGO
▪ As we grow we encounter the needs of others that interfere with our own desires.
▪ Ego tries to balance the needs of the ID with the needs of the SUPEREGO, which
represents values and demands of society.
▪ Functions according to the reality principle, which says to take care of a need as soon as
an appropriate object is found. It represents reality and reason.
▪ Develops because we eventually have to learn to deal with society.
▪ Example: just because we are hungry, we cannot just steal food. The EGO knows that if it
wants to satisfy the ID and the SUPEREGO, it must pay for the food.
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ The SUPEREGO
▪ Represents the norms, values and social expectations
we have internalized from our social groups.
▪ Gives us a sense of morality, feelings of guilt and
shame or fear of of punishment when we break the
rules.
▪ Maintains our sense of morals and lives in the
unconscious and conscious.
▪ Two (2) aspects of the superego: the conscience,
which is an internalization of punishments and
warnings. The other is called the ego ideal which
comes from rewards and positive models presented
to the child.
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ Oedipus Complex:
▪ The idea that every boy wants to marry their mother and get rid of their father.
▪ Involves the child’s need for their parents and the realization that they are not
the only focus of mother’s attention.
▪ In later stage, the boy hopes to identify with the father in hopes of marrying a
woman like his mother.
◼ Electra Complex:
▪ girls want to marry their fathers and get rid of their mothers.
▪ Later, they desire to be like their mothers in hopes of attracted a man like their
father.
◼ Heracles Complex:
▪ A father’s hatred for his children. Sees them as rivals for his affection for his wife.
◼ Jocasta Complex:
▪ A mother’s abnormal attachment to her son.
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

Defense mechanisms popularized by Freud:

◼ Repression: pushing uncomfortable thoughts into the unconscious (ie.
abuse as a child)
◼ Regression: retreating to an earlier stage of development (ie.
thumbsucking, temper tantrums)
◼ Reaction Formation: switching unacceptable impulses into their opposite
(ie. treating someone you really dislike in an excessively friendly manner to
hide true feelings)
◼ Projection: Disguising their own threatening impulses by blaming them on
other people (ie. if you really dislike someone, you might believe they
dislike you)
◼ Rationalizing: justify your actions to cover up the real unconscious reason
(ie. saying you weren’t interested in a person anyway after they have turned
you down.)
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ Displacement: takes anger or inappropriate impulses and redirects them

to something else (ie. you’re angry at your little sister but you yell at your
mom)
◼ Sublimation: redirecting wrong urges into socially acceptable actions (ie. a
drug addict becomes addicted to exercise instead)
◼ Intellectualization: avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the
intellectual aspect (ie. focusing on the details of a funeral as opposed to the
sadness and grief)
◼ Denial: arguing against an anxiety provoking stimuli by stating it does not
exist (ie. someone who is convicted of drinking and driving claims they
don’t have a drinking problem)
 Psychoanalytic Theory (Continued)

◼ How to apply this lens to literature:

▪ Look at the structure of the personality of the characters (id, ego, superego) in order to
understand their motivations.
▪ Look at the nature, symbolism and interpretation of dreams.
▪ Look at repressed unconscious desires of characters.
▪ Consider what psychological theories are present in the characters (complex, defense
mechanism)
◼ EXAMPLE: Frozen
▪ Anna is initially motivated by her id. She acts impulsively and wants to marry a man she
just met. Elsa, however, is motivated by her superego. She holds on to the rules her
parents taught her about keeping her secret and allows this to affect her relationship
with her sister and her psyche. Anna learns responsibility when she has to find her
sister, and she becomes less concerned with satisfying herself than she is with helping
Arendelle. With the acceptance from her sister, Elsa learns to accept who she is and no
longer fears being “caught” by society. As a result, she can control her powers.
Marxist Literary Criticism
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

◼ Based upon the political and economic theories of German philosopher

Karl Marx as well as his work with Frederick Engels.
◼ Focuses on class and power relations.
◼ Marx argued that social structure could be divided into two classes:
Bourgeoisie (upper class) and the Proletariat (working class). Also
believed that the economy affected all other social institutions
(government, education, religion)
◼ Before capitalist societies, individuals made and kept their own products.
In order to maximize production, individual production converted into
organized social collaboration. The products now produced weren’t owned
by private owners, but by a capitalist appropriator.
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

◼ Thus, the capitalists (aka bourgeoisie) owned the means of production

and forced their ideas on the proletariat (aka wage slaves) who now had
nothing but their labour power.
◼ Marx suggested that proletariat had the real power and should revolt
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

Karl Marx believed that history moved in the following stages:

◼ Feudalism: middle age type of government where the king allocated land
in exchange for labour.

◼ Capitalism: where majority of businesses are privately owned.

◼ Socialism: a system where property and wealth are shared equally, there
are equal power relations.

◼ Communism: government eliminates social status and makes everyone

equal by controlling jobs, education, military and wealth.
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

◼ Materialism: each stage of history was mainly shaped by the economic

system. The key to understanding the systems was to focus on the “means
of production” (agricultural, industrial, etc.) It was also important to focus
on who owned the means of production (capitalism=bourgeoisie,
socialism=proletariat)
◼ Class Struggle: Each stage of history was characterized by the exploitation
of one class by another.
◼ The Dialectic: Marx argued that great historical changes followed a three
step pattern called thesis-antithesis-synthesis. Any idea or condition
(thesis) brings into being its opposite (antithesis). The two opposites then
conflict until the produce a new, higher stage (synthesis). Ex. The existence
of the bourgeoisie brought about the existence of their opposite, the
proletariat. The synthesis of this would be a utopian, classless society.
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

◼ Capitalism: Marx saw capitalism as the cruelest, most efficient system

evolved for the exploitation of the working majority by a small class of
owners. The nature of capitalism is for wealth and ownership to be
concentrated in a small, ever-shrinking, mega-rich class.
◼ Working Class Misery: Capitalist production methods became more
efficient, requiring fewer workers. Capitalism was plagued with high bouts
of unemployment. As each worker was just an appendage of a machine,
their job became less satisfying and they felt even more alienated.
◼ Class Consciousness: Workers would eventually develop an awareness of
their predicament. When this occurred, it would be simple for them to take
over their oppressors by taking over the factories and the state.
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

◼ Blue-collar workers: working class workers who perform manual labour

◼ White-collar workers: workers who perform professional, managerial or
administrative work.

Marxist Theory
◼ Judges literature in terms of social and political implications.
◼ Literature is seen as product of economic forces.
◼ Marxist critics view the way different classes of people are represented in
texts and the power relationships between characters
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

How to apply this lens to literature:

◼ Look at the socio-economic status of the author and show how it relates to
the text.
◼ Look at how individual working class characters are characterized and their
relationship to upper-class characters. What is the hierarchy?
◼ How class distinctions and struggles effect characters.
◼ Consider who has the power and money and who doesn’t.
◼ Assess the role of government.
◼ Does the main character express disappointment with the values of society
or do they agree with them?
 Marxist Literary Criticism (Continued)

Example: Frozen
◼ There is a breakdown of power and order when citizens realize Elsa’s
powers, developing a mistrust between the citizens and those in power. As
a result of Elsa’s outburst, everything freezes, she has a chokehold on the
land, cutting of trade and income for the lower class. Because of the freeze
instilled by the upper class, Kristoff’s ice business is no longer viable,
leaving him unsatisfied in his job. This leads him to resent Anna who is also
a member of the ruling class. At the film’s end, there is harmony between
classes (Kristoff and Anna) and Elsa uses her power for good, allowing for
antithesis.
 Feminist Theory & Gender Studies and Queer Theory:
An Introduction to Gender
Why Gender Equality is Good for
Everyone - Men Included by Michael
Kimmel
 Feminist Literary Criticism

Gender and Male/Female Relations:

◼ This form of criticism emerged in the 60s and attempted to eliminate
discrimination against women.
◼ Western world has been mostly patriarchal. As a result, most literature
reflects a masculine bias and presents an inaccurate and sometimes
harmful view of women.
◼ Women have been devalued and have not been given a voice in art, politics,
and economics.
◼ Believe masculinity and femininity are social constructs. We are
male/female because we were born that way (sex); we are
masculine/feminine because of the values of society (gender).
 Feminist Literary Criticism

◼ Views society as “patriarchal” and “heterosexual” which hinder women

from realizing their true potential.
◼ Women are viewed negatively or inferior, as the “other” by the dominating
“subject” (the male or heterosexual)
◼ Considers concepts of “gender” as social constructs created by the
patriarchal biases of our civilization.
 Feminist Literary Criticism (Continued)

Feminist Theory
◼ Study of how texts either perpetuate or challenge patriarchal structure of
society
◼ Examine the way female characters are represented in literature (what is
their role in society, how they’re treated by male characters)
◼ Different responses men and women have to reading the same text.
 Feminist Literary Criticism (Continued)

How to apply this lens to literature:

◼ How are women portrayed? Stereotypical or not? (i.e. sex symbol, damsel in
distress, goddess, etc.)
◼ Power struggles between men and women.
◼ Gender of the author. Are there any indications of the author’s attitude towards
women?
◼ Suggestions of misogyny. Is the portrayal of women sexist?

Example: Frozen
◼ Focuses on the bonds between women as opposed to the hetero-romantic bonds
between men and women. Overturns stereotypes by making Anna a hero as
opposed to a damsel in distress. The fear of Elsa’s power by the rest of society
could be seen as fear of female power, particularly since there is no “king.”
Applying the Feminist Lens to The Backyardigans - The Legend of the Volcano Sisters
 Gender Studies and Queer Theory

◼ Explores issues of sexuality, power, and marginalized

populations (people are othered) in literature and culture.
◼ Maintains that cultural definitions of sexuality and what it
means to be male and female are in flux – an attractive woman
can wear jeans and flannels and be assertive whereas
previously that same woman would need to be wearing a
dress and in a passive state to be viewed as attractive
 Applying Gender Studies and Queer Theory
◼ What elements of the text can be perceived as being masculine (active,
powerful) and feminine (passive, marginalized) and how do the
characters support these traditional roles?
◼ What elements in the text exist in the middle, between the perceived
masculine/feminine binary? In other words, what elements exhibit traits
of both (bisexual)?
◼ What are the politics (ideological agendas) of specific gay, lesbian, or
queer works, and how are those politics revealed in...the work's thematic
content or portrayals of its characters?
◼ What does the work contribute to our knowledge of LGBTQ experience
and history, including literary history?
◼ How is queer, gay, or lesbian experience coded in texts that are by writers
who identify with that community?
 Applying Gender Studies and Queer Theory
(Continued)
◼ How does the literary text illustrate the problematics of sexuality and
sexual "identity," that is the ways in which human sexuality does not fall
neatly into the separate categories defined by the words homosexual and
heterosexual?
 An Introduction to Intersectionality
The Urgency of Intersectionality by
Kimberlé Crenshaw