“Educating the mind
without educating
the heart is no
education at all”
-Aristotle
1
UNIT 2:
Aids to the Study
of
Literature
Lesson 1:
Literary
Approaches
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Formalism
This approach focuses on the text itself. It
examines elements like structure, language,
and literary devices (like metaphors or
symbolism) to understand meaning.
Formalism ignores the author’s life or
historical context, concentrating only on
what is in the text.
Example: 5
When reading a poem, formalism
asks you to look at the rhyme, word
choice, and rhythm to find
meaning.
Key Term:
Textual Analysis: Looking at the
structure and elements of the text
itself.
6
Biographical Approach
This method connects the author’s
life to the text. Knowing the author’s
background—such as their life
experiences, struggles, and beliefs—
can help explain why they wrote the
way they did.
Example: 7
When reading Ernest Hemingway’s
works, a biographical approach
might explain how his experiences in
war influenced his writing about
bravery and loss.
Key Term:
Biography: The study of a person’s
life.
8
Historical Approach
This approach studies the time period
when the text was written. It looks at
how historical events and social norms
influenced the text. This helps us
understand how a work reflects the
culture or politics of the time.
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Example:
Shakespeare’s plays, when viewed through a
historical approach, show us the social classes
and monarchy of the 16th century.
Key Term:
Context: The time, place, and events
happening when the text was written.
10
Psychological Approach
This method analyzes the
psychological aspects of characters.
It considers the motivations,
emotions, and mental states of
characters, often drawing on
theories from psychology.
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Example:
In Dostoevsky’s Crime and
Punishment, the psychological approach
might examine Raskolnikov’s guilt and
mental turmoil after committing murder.
Key Term:
Psychoanalysis: A theory of personality
and therapeutic technique that focuses on
unconscious motives and conflicts.
12
Marxist Criticism
This approach examines literature in
the context of class struggles,
economic power, and social
inequality. It looks at how a text
reflects or critiques the social
conditions of its time.
13
Example:
In Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist,
Marxist criticism highlights the plight of
the poor in Victorian England and
critiques the class system.
Key Term:
Class Conflict: Tension between
different social classes.
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Gender Criticism
This approach explores how
gender affects the reading of a
text. It examines the roles,
stereotypes, and power dynamics
between genders in literature.
Example: 15
In Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One's
Own, gender criticism discusses the
societal limitations placed on women
writers.
Key Term:
Gender Roles: Expectations of how men
and women should behave based on their
gender.
16
New Historicism
This method combines historical
context with literary analysis. It
looks at how a text relates to the
historical events of its time and how
these events shape the narrative.
Example: 17
Analyzing Toni Morrison’s Beloved
through new historicism helps readers
understand how slavery's legacy impacts
the characters and the story.
Key Term:
Cultural Context: The beliefs, values,
and practices of the time in which the
text was written.
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Reader-Response Criticism
This approach emphasizes the
reader’s experience and
interpretation of a text. It argues
that meaning is created through the
interaction between the reader and
the text.
Example: 19
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird, different readers may
interpret the themes of racism and
morality based on their own
experiences.
Key Term:
Interpretation: The act of explaining or
understanding the meaning of a text.
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Deconstruction
This approach examines the
contradictions within a text. It
questions the stability of meaning
and suggests that texts can be
interpreted in multiple ways.
Example: 21
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby, deconstruction might
explore the conflicting ideas of the
American Dream.
Key Term:
Ambiguity: The quality of being
open to more than one
interpretation.
Thank You
In a well-structured poem, the
speaker reflects on the allure of
nature while grappling with the
responsibilities of life. The poem’s
use of rhyme, vivid imagery, and
rhythmic patterns emphasizes the
internal conflict between desire and
duty. Students should focus on the
language, structure, and literary
devices to uncover the meaning
behind the speaker's struggle.
