Lesson 1 & 2:

CONTEXT &
Critical
Approaches
understanding literature
 Lesson
Objectives
01 Appreciating the role of context in
understanding a literary text

02 Exploring different approaches that can

be used in understanding literary text

03 Write an insightful reaction paper on a social

issue or common experience.
 what is
context?
It refers to the background,
environment, setting,
framework, or surroundings
of events or occurrences.
Circumstances forming a
background of an event, idea
or statement.
Provides information, new
concepts, and words to
develop thoughts.
importance of
context
Essential in engaging audience.
Allows reader to see the true picture of a
literary work.
Helps understand cultural, social,
philosophical, and political ideas and
movements prevalent in society at the time
of the writing.
Illuminates the meaning and relevance of
the text, and may be something cultural,
historical, social, or political.
 Historical
Psychoanalytic Cultural & Political

different context
Religious & Philosophical Literary Tradition

Socio-Economic
 context
Historical Cultural and Political Literary Tradition

Social, political, Analyzing how Traces of literary

cultural, economic, literature set influence,
and environmental against cultural movements, and
situations during and political ideas. reactions towards
specific time literary
period. conventions
 context
Socio-Economic Cultural and Political Psychoanalytic

Includes Marxist Philosophical, beliefs, and Manifestation of

and Feminist Texts experiences that shapes the author’s
It can be traced author’s intention in writing psychological
through the social the text. state.
structure, class, Can be seen through beliefs It also analyzes
and practices, symbolism,
power, education, author’s behavior,
worldviews and themes
and money. predisposition, and
depicted in a literary work.
complexes
 Lesson 2:

Critical
Approaches
understanding literature
 critical
approaches
‘Lenses’ or a new angle
or perspectives on how
we view things.

Allows us to interpret a
literary text.
 what is
literary
theory?
Principle that is used
to study the nature of
a literary work.
 Mythological New Historicist

Biographical Psychological

Formalist Deconstructionist

Types of criticism
Post-colonial Reader-response

Gender Sociological

Feminist Marxist
 formalist criticism
Considers the work in isolation, disregarding author’s intent, author’s
background, context, and anything else outside of the work itself.

FORMS ORGANIZATION

WORD CHOICE STRUCTURE

MEANINGS LANGUAGE
 formalist criticism
Tenets Advantages Disadvantages

Fixed meaning Can be done Text is seen in

Greatest literary without research isolation
text are timeless,
and universal Value literature Ignores the context
apart from its
context Difficult on longer
works
guide questions:
How does the work’s form, structure,
and language contribute to its
meaning?
How do the literary devices enhance
the overall impact of the text?
How do the narrative structure (plot,
setting, characters) influence its
themes?
How does that genre of the text
shape its interpretation?
How does the use of language
(imagery, symbolism, tone)
contribute to its overall meaning?
 biographical criticism
o Importance of author’s life
o Author’s life affects the interpretation of text
THREE TENETS

Author’s background can help readers interpret a text.

Author’s difficulties in creating that text can help
readers appreciate a text.
How the author apply their life experiences in their works
helps readers understand the author and the text
guide questions:
How is the author's life experiences,
beliefs, and values relevant to the
understanding of the work?
How do the author's personal
experiences reflect in the themes,
characters, or plot of the work?
How do the author's experiences shape
the way they tell their story?
Are there any clues or references that
might suggest personal connections with
the author?
Does knowing more about the author's
background provide new insights or raise
questions?
mythological criticism
Examines the “universal” elements of
human life as they occur across
cultures.
Text meanings shaped by cultural and
psychological myths using images,
symbols, and even patterns.

Revolves around archetypes

TENETS
or universal elements
guide questions:
Are there any recurring patterns or
symbols in the work that resonate with
mythological themes?
How do the characters in the work fit
into traditional mythological roles? Are
there heroes, villains, tricksters, or wise
old men/women?
Does the work explore universal
themes or conflicts that are
commonly found in mythology?
Consider themes like good vs. evil, life
and death, or the hero's journey.
 historical criticism
Believes that a literary work is a product
of its time.
TWO TENETS

Help readers understand how text were

perceived in their time.
Examines how literary texts reflect the
ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of the time
in which they were created.
guide questions:
What was the historical context of
the work?
How does the work reflect or
challenge its time's ideologies?
What historical events or figures are
referenced in the work?
How does the work engage with
contemporary issues or debates?
What can we learn about the
historical period or cultural context
through the analysis of the work?
psychoanalytic criticism
Views work through the lens
of psychology
Psychological motivations of
the characters and authors
TWO TENETS

Characters reflects the author himself.

Uses in-depth character analysis to recognize motives.
guide questions:
How do the characters' unconscious
desires and motivations influence
their actions?
What are the underlying
psychological conflicts or traumas
that shape the characters' behavior?
How does the work explore themes of
human mind
What are the symbolic meanings of
objects or events in the work?
How does the work's narrative
structure reflect the human psyche?
 deconstructionist
There is no single meaning of any text
All text has multiple meanings.
Reader’s interpretation will always be different from
how the author interprets the text.
TWO TENETS

Tearing down of any meaning by a variety of readers.

Everything can be relative to you.
reader response approach
Reader’s interpretation
changes over time
Reader’s from different
generation has different
interpretation.
Meaning of the text relies
on the reader
Processing meaning and
experiencing the text.
 reader response
TWO TENETS

Interpretations changes over time

Readers from different background
will most likely have different
interpretation
guide questions:
How does the reader’s personal
experiences and beliefs influence their
interpretation of the text?
What emotions does the text evoke in
the reader?
How does the reader's understanding
of the text evolve as they read?
What are the meanings that the
reader derives from the text?
How does the reader's cultural
background and context shape their
understanding of the text?
sociological criticism
Believes that social contexts must be considered
in analyzing text
beliefs and values of a
society
economic, political, and
cultural issues
literature is a reflection of
the society
feminist criticism
Role, position, and influence of
women in a literary text
Asserts that literature were
mostly written by men
Woman is neglected in a
society the gives too much
importance on men
Argue that gender determines
everything.
 feminist approach
BASIC TENETS STAGES

1. Female accepts the role

Western civilization is and definition of male
patriarchal authorities created.
Patriarchal ideas 2. Rebel against male
influences literature authority and challenges
Most if literature has male definitions and roles
been gender-biased 3. No longer concerned with
male definition and roles
guide questions:
How are gender roles and
stereotypes portrayed in the work?
What is the significance of female
characters and their experiences?
How does the work challenge or
reinforce patriarchal norms?
What are the power dynamics
between men and women in the
work?
How does the work address issues of
gender inequality and
discrimination?
 Marxist criticism
Series of struggle between the oppressed and
the oppressing.
Reflects on how dominant groups exploits
subordinate groups
Alienation through money, power, and politics.

MATERIALISM LABOR CORRUPTION

BOURGEOISIE VS. PROLETARIAT POWER

KARL MARX
guide questions:
How does the work reflect the
socioeconomic class structures of its
time?
What are the power dynamics
between different social classes in
the work?
How does the work critique or
reinforce capitalist ideology?
What is the role of labor and
economic systems in the work?
How does the work represent the
struggle for social and economic
justice?
 gender criticism
Influenced by socially constructed gender roles.
Representation of queer sexuality or sexualities other
than straight
TWO TENETS

Gender roles are created by patriarchal

society
Queer sexualities were suppressed by
western society.
guide questions:
How are gender identities and
roles portrayed?
What is the significance of
sexuality in the text?
What are the gender inequality
and how is it addressed?
Are there any linguistic devices
that highlight gendered power
dynamics?
How does the text contribute to
broader conversations about
gender and sexuality?
post colonial criticism
Focuses on literary texts produced in places that
has been colonized.
TWO TENETS

Break down the false images and myths that the Western
world has created about the non-Western world.
Colonization is both violent and destructive by nature,
which informs and influences the production of art in non-
Western, colonized cultures.
guide questions:
How does the text represent the
colonizer and the colonized?
What is the role of language in the
text?
Are there characters who struggle
with their cultural identity or who
are marginalized due to their
colonial history?
What is the significance of the
setting?
How does the text critique or
challenge colonial discourses?