CRITICISM...

INTRO TO CRITIQUE/REVIEW
PAPER
-classic tale
of identity
 Woody is adjusting to his newfound role in
sharing Andy’s affection with a second toy,
Buzz Lightyear. Of course, Buzz Lightyear is
convinced that he is the actual Buzz Lightyear,
and he only recognizes his true identity at the
climax of the movie when he leaps
off of the steps, hoping that he can fly. He can’t.
The remainder of the movie details the process
as Buzz finds a purpose in his new identity as
Andy’s toy. Thus, when the BCPS student said
that Toy Story is a classic “identity” story,
he/she was able to substantiate that claim with
details and explanations from the text/film.
The Scream – Edvard
Munch
-visual
interpretation
of an
individual’s
struggle to find
a voice in
society.
 “Literary criticism is the study,
analysis, and evaluation of
imaginative literature. Everyone
who expresses an opinion about a
book, a song, a play, or a movie is
a critic, but not everyone’s opinion
is based upon thought, reflection,
analysis, or consistently articulated
principles.”
-Mark Lund, 96
 “Literary criticism is
NOT READING
BETWEEN THE LINES.
 CRITICAL
APPROACHE
S
 l

Approac
>seek to interpret the work
of literature through

h
understanding the times and
the culture in which the work
was written
>How does the work reflect the
time in which it was
written/made?
>How does the story reflect the
attitudes and beliefs of the time
in which it was written or set?
>What historical events might
have influenced this writer?
>How important is the historical
context (work’s and readers’) to
interpret the work?
>Victor Hugo
>French historical
novel
>1948 Paris
Insurrection/ February
Revolution – one of the
wave revolution in
Europe
Biographi
cal
Approach
>investigates the life of an
author using primary texts,
diaries, & other doc. that might
reveal the experience, thought
and feelings that led to the
creation of the literary work
>What aspects of the author’s
personal life are relevant to this
story?
>Does the author’s personal
experiences reflect in the story?
>Do any of the characters in the
story corresponds to real people?

*True life stories can be used in

Biographical approach
Ex. Life of Moses, Cleopatra and
Julius Caesar
>also has the writer’s
personal experiences

Scene: Jean Valjean rescued

Fantine
Experience: Hugo saved a
prostitute from being
arrested.

Scene: Barricades
Experience: Hugo saw the
barricades blocking his way
and had to take shelter from
gunfire.
>characters correspond to
real people

Character: Jean Valjean

Real: life of Eugène François
Vidocq
-an ex-convict turned into
head of undercover police
who founded France’s first
private detective agency.
-a businessman and a
philanthropist

Character: Fantine
Real: prostitute saved by
Hugo
Formalis
t
Approac
h
>close readings of the text
that looks at a small portion
of a story/poem/ play, etc.
Formal features of the text:
>genre
>character
>setting
>plot
>theme
>point of view
>symbolism
Genre – category of literary
composition
>Sci-fi
>Drama
>Action and Adventure
>Romance
>Mystery
>Horror/ Suspense
Character – person/animal who
takes part in the action of the
story
1. Protagonist
2. Antagonist - villain

Movie: Harry Potter

Protagonist
-Harry Potter
Antagonist
-Voldemart, Draco Malfoy, etc.
Setting –
time and
location
Movie: Coco
>Small
Mexican town
>Mexican Day
of the Dead
holiday
Plot – series of events.
Theme – central idea or
belief, the underlying
meaning or main idea of the
story
Point of View – the angle
from which the story is told.
1. First person – character
within the story tells the
story
2. Second person – a
narrator is telling the story
3. Third person – a character
not in the story tells the
story
Movie:
Tangled
>First person
Flynn Rider
Symbolism – can
be object,
person,
situation, event
or action that
has a deeper
meaning in
context
Philosophi
cal
Approach
>assumes the seriousness of a
work as a statement of values
about life
>positive and negative effects
of a work to human beings that
may lead to moral controversy
Psychologi
cal
Approach
>focuses on the motivation of the
character
>about human behavior: the way
they function, which aspects of
them are worthy of study and what
research methods are appropriate
for undertaking this study.
>Tom Sawyer
-he is a very
traumatized
character
followed
death which
is symbolized
by the dark
river
>tragedy
>Hamlet’s
rebellion
Sociologic
al
Approach
>focuses on the relationship
of literature and society.
>understand the writer’s
environment as an important
element of his work
>Social
issues
reflected
in the
Hunger
Games
trilogy
>Social
issues
reflected
in To Kill a
Mockingbir
d
>Racism
 Marxist
Criticism
>how the role of common
man/ woman is presented
and the struggles they face
>relationship between
society, politics and
economics
 Gender/
Feminist
Approach
>examines the role and
image of women in literature
>role of men and how they
interact with women