INTRODUCTION TO

THEORIES OF LITERARY
CRITICISM

PREPARED BY:
SHARVINI
DHIVYAH

DEFINITION OF LITERARY
CRITICISM

Literary criticism is the evaluation, analysis,

description, or interpretation of literary works.
It is usually in the form of a critical essay, but
in-depth book reviews can sometimes be
considered as literary criticism.
Criticism may examine a particular literary
work, or may look at an author's writings as a
whole.

THEORIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM

GENDER
POST-MODERNISM

THEORY OF
LITERARY
CRITICISM :
GENDER

FEMINIST
CRITICISM

QUEER
CRITICISM

analyze the
role of women
in literature

Women as
writer, as
reader

Feminist
criticism

To explore
material
forms of
social,
economic and
political
discrimination
of women

How women
viewed
themselves
and the role
that gender
plays in
society

EXAMPLES FROM SHORT STORIES

Two kinds by Amy Tan

mother daughter relationship

Parent-child is a feminist theme in Two Kinds,
which is also seen through the fact that Jing
Meis father is prominently absent.

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Mr.Hale declares that women are used to worrying about

trifles
the leftover bread lofts, unwashed dishes and broken
preserves give an indirect view on how Mrs. Wright is
dumped into the situation where her daily duties are being
affected.
Mrs.Peter finds a quilt where the stitches were incomplete.
Mrs.Hale wonders if Mrs.Wright was going to quilt or just
knot it. The men tease and laugh at her foolishness.
Signifies that they look down upon womens opinion. This
evidence proof the Feminist criticism where it discovers the
neglected works by women.

Constructivist
(as opposed to
essentialist)

Queer
Criticism

Involves
characters, plot
lines or themes
that portrays
male homosexual
behaviour

Continuation
of modernist
view.

Characterised
by
fragmentation.

POSTMODERNISM

Started
around 1940s
exact date in
unknown
(around WW2)

Is a term that
encompasses a
wide-range of
developments in
philosophy, film,
architecture, art,
literature, and
culture.

Originally a
reaction to
modernism,
referring to the
lack of cultural
thoughts or
organized
principles.

EXAMPLES FROM SHORT STORIES

Two Kinds by Amy Tan (pg 45)

Jing Mei is an Americanized girl and cannot
accept her mothers decision about her life. In the
story Jing Mei shows some rebellion to her
mother that symbolises idea of revolution.

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

The story is left hanging without an ending. For example, we
dont know the real condition of Phoenixs grandson, whether
he is alive or dead. In the very beginning of the story,
Phoenix Jackson was described as an old lady who frequently
experiences memory lapse. She even forgot the purpose of her
long journey to the hospital. The ending is not clear as the
author does not gives a clear picture about Phoenix Jackson
and her grandson.