Course 3—Lecture

Evaluating Literature—approaches

Close reading (see slide #4) is used by critics to analyze texts based on specific areas of interest. Here are 4 analytical approaches to the study of literature:

Feminist criticism—considers how literature reflects female cultural roles, past and present. In doing so, feminists have re-discovered writers long ignored (see LitCourse 1 and Kate Chopin).

Psychological criticism—uses the framework of Sigmund Freud and others to examine characters' actions and motivations...and even the author's psychological state.