Shweta Kataria (1767 words)
Shweta Kataria
Mr. Jaideep Pandey
BritishLiterature: 18thCentury
28thMarch2017
Literary Criticism and its emerging trends
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature.Literary criticism is the play of the mind on a work of literature and it consists in asking and answering rational question about literature. Such an inquiry may be directed either towards literature in general leading to a better understanding of the nature and value of literature, and a better appreciation of the pleasure proper to literature. Such an inquiry by helping us to think rightly about literature enables us to gain the fullest enjoyment from it. In this way is built up a theory of literature, and the process of literary creation is examined and made intelligible.Through the years, it has developed and grown, and ultimately provides us with parameters on how to study literature. Because there are a million different ways to dissect written works, such as novels or poems,literary criticismprovides some general guidelines to help us analyze, deconstruct, interpret and evaluate. We usually see literary criticism in a book review or critical essay.
Aristotle’s practical contribution to criticism, as opposed to hisethicaldefense of literature, lies in his inductive treatment of the elements and kinds of poetry. Poetic modes are identified according to their means of imitation, the actions they imitate, the manner of imitation, and its effects. These distinctions assist the critic in judging each mode according to its proper ends instead of regarding beauty as a fixed entity. The ends of tragedy, as Aristotle conceived them, are best served by the harmoniousdispositionof six elements: plot, character,diction, thought, spectacle, and song.
Classical and medieval criticism
Literary criticism is thought to have existed for as long as literature. In the 4th century BCAristotlewrote thePoetics, a typology and description of literary forms with many specific criticisms of contemporary works of art.Poeticsdeveloped for the first time the concepts ofmimesisandcatharsis, which are still crucial in literary studies.Plato’s attacks onpoetryas imitative, secondary, and false were formative as well.
Later classical medieval criticism often focused on religious texts, and the several long religious tradition of hermeneutics and textual exegesis have had a profound influence on the study of secular texts.
Renaissance criticism
The literary criticism of the Renaissance developed classical ideas of unity of form and content into literary neoclassicism, proclaiming literature as central to culture, entrusting the poet and the author with preservation of a long literary tradition. The birth of Renaissance criticism was in 1498, with the recoveryof classical texts, most notably, Giorgio Valla’s latin translation of Aristotle’s Poetics. The work of Aristotle, especially Poetics, was the most important influence Renaissance critics who wrote commentaries on Aristotle’s Poetics in 1570.
19th-century criticism
The British Romantic movement of the early nineteenth century introduced new aesthetic ideas to literary study, including the idea that the object of literature need not always be beautiful, noble, or perfect, but that literature itself could elevate a common subject to the level of the sublime. German Romanticism, which followed closely after the late development of German classicism, emphasized an aesthetic of fragmentation that can appear startlingly modern to the reader of English literature, and valued Witz- that is, “wit” or “humour” of a certain sort- more highlythan the serious Anglophone Romanticism. The late nineteenth century brought unknown to authors known more for critical writing than for their own work.
The Changing Role of Critics and Criticism
Views regarding the functions of criticism and the role of critics have kept on changing through the ages. Every age has tended to assign a different function or functions to criticism. The earliest systematic critic, Plato, for example, was concerned with the problem of defining the utility of poetry in theeducational systemof his ideal state, found poetry wanting, and so banished poets from his ideal commonwealth. His approach was fundamentally utilitarian, and he condemned poetry as immoral and untruthful. Following Plato’s condemnation, critics for long centuries to come were pre-occupied with justifying imaginative literature, more specially poetry. Critics from the earliest times have also thought that the chief business of criticism was to teach the writer how to write effectively. The general statements of Aristotle andHoracewere narrowed down todogmaticrules’ and writers were advised to follow them strictly. The Augustans were of the view that the chief end of criticism was to devise rules and regulations for the guidance of writers, and then to judge a workon the basis of these rules. However, such a view of the function of criticism soon became outmoded. With the rise of romantic individualism, the conception of the function of criticism underwent a radical change. It was now realised that the chief function of criticism is aesthetic, i.e. to promote appreciation and enjoyment of literature. Romantic criticism often tends to be wayward and unbalanced. Therefore, the need was soon felt to discipline the personal likes and dislikes, prejudices and predilections, of the critic, and bring literary criticism in touch with the main currents of literary and social thought. Thus during the Victorian era, Matthew Arnold wrote that criticism is, “the endeavour to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world.” In this way, the scope of critical inquiry was much widened, and criticism became a handmaid tocultureand education by propagating the best that is known and thought. Such criticism establishes a current of noble ideas, and thus creates the proper atmosphere in which great literature becomes possible. In this way, criticism promotes creation; critical activity of a high order is considered necessary for successful creation.
Types of Literary Criticism
Literacy criticism includes various techniques of literature analysis which are widely used for critical essay writing and drafting analysis for texts and materials against specific merits of evaluation.
Objective Analysis
An objective analysismakes uses the technique of independently investigating a particular subject matter with reference to the existing facts, figures, events and background information. An objective analysis can also be referred to as statistical interpolation, objective mapping, or systematic probing into a subject and is completely devoid of personal feelings and viewpoint.
Rhetorical Criticism
The rhetorical criticism approachmakes use of the technique of persuasion and aims to understand the conveyance of the content of poetry and other works of art. It evaluates the angle of approach, presentation of arguments, evidence and attitude.
Metaphorical Criticism
A metaphorical critical analysis makes use of the use, nature, purpose and evaluation of metaphors used in any work. The analysis probes into the meaning and illustration along with the message conveyed of the metaphorical stance being used.
Marxist Criticism
In case of the Marxist critical analysis, poetry is analyzed on the basis of its political correctness and calls for mention of support for workers against capitalist exploitation and perils of free market perils.
Historical Criticism
Historical criticism analyzes poem works in their historical contextand evaluates the use ofallusions, words, phrases and diction along with conventions and expectations at the time of the written works produced.
Feminist Criticism
Feminist critical analysis is concerned with the politics of women’s authorship, representation of the women’s condition within literature. Origin of feminine criticism is originally derived from the classic works of 19th Century women authors like George Eliot and Margaret Fuller. Based on the feminist theory, the feminist critical evaluation analyzes elements like stereotypes of women, images of women in literature, literary mistreatment of women, place of women in patriarchal societies and challenges faced by women in the modern era.
Example of Literary Criticism
Literary Criticism ofThe Metamorphosis’
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, a German author, is considered to be the most commonly analyzed piece of literature. This is an indefinable story that demonstrates the transformation process of Gregor Samsa from human into a huge insect. The novel is and is a source of inspiration for more imaginative work.
This is a story about Gregor Samsa who was a traveling salesman. One morning, Samsa turned into an enormous insect. He was quite shocked after this transformation being done. Everybody at his home was also very shocked. At first nobody dared to go near him. With the passage of time all family members managed and grow more adapted to live with Samsa even in that strange condition.
However, he was not allowed to leave his room. Meanwhile, his mother and sister devoted themselves in different tasks and Samsa became totally neglected and isolated. In the end, Gregor Samsa died and disposed of by his family members. The story closed with Gregor Samsa’s parents who were optimistic after the death of their son. They were positive in approach for the future. They came to realize the beauty and vivacity of their daughter without having any thought of their dead son.
The metamorphosis interpretations demonstrate and focus on symbolic and psychoanalytic nature of fiction writing. While evaluation of this narration, many critics depict this as focusing hostility from humanity whereas some literary critics consider the transformation as a practice taken as wish fulfillment process. Those who analyze the story as wish fulfillment drag out clues from the story as Gregor Samsa was much concerned to support his parents.
Some critics also mentioned that the thrust of metamorphosis is not all about Gregor Samsa but it also focused on his family’s attitude and reaction when Gregor Samsa turned into a parasite. His family learnt the art as how to throw their dependency. They became more active and self sufficient after Gregor’s transformation. Metaphors in metamorphosis also played a great role to demonstrate vague and abstract concepts into concrete form.
Summing up, we can conclude that literary criticism is a form of discourse with an analytical angle of approach and varies depending on the subject matters under review. The best practice to attempt a literary review or analysis will be to first gain reasonable insight into the field of study and then proceed.
Works Cited
Gale, 1990. 277-316. Literature Criticism Online.
Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Eds. Thomas J. Schoenberg
Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Roger Matuz. Vol. 61.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Metamorphosis.”
