Unit 2546: Introduction to Literary Theory and Critical Approaches

1. Introduction to Literary Theory

• Definition and purpose of literary theory
• Historical overview: from classical criticism to contemporary theory
• Key terms: text, interpretation, critique, context
• Major movements overview
• Significance of theory in literary analysis

2. Formalism

• Origins and historical context (Russian Formalism)
• Focus on form, structure, language, and style
• Key concepts: defamiliarization, literariness, foregrounding
• Methods of formalist analysis
• Limitations: exclusion of historical/biographical contexts

3. Structuralism and Post-Structuralism

3.1 Structuralism

• Foundations in linguistics (Ferdinand de Saussure)
• Concepts: sign, signifier, signified, binary oppositions
• Application to literature: underlying structures and myths
• Key figures: Claude Lévi-Strauss, Roland Barthes

3.2 Post-Structuralism

• Reaction to structuralism’s fixed meanings
• Concepts: deconstruction, intertextuality, différance
• Role of reader and text instability
• Key theorists: Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault

4. Psychoanalytic Criticism

• Introduction to Freudian theory in literature
• Concepts: unconscious, repression, id/ego/superego
• Lacanian psychoanalysis: mirror stage, symbolic order
• Analysis of character motivations, themes, and symbols
• Examples of psychoanalytic readings

5. Feminist Criticism

• Historical background of feminist literary theory
• Examination of gender representations and power dynamics
• Key concepts: patriarchy, male gaze (Laura Mulvey), Bechdel test
• Contributions of key feminist theorists: Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler
• Impact on literary studies and contemporary discourse

6. Marxist Criticism

• Foundations in Marxist theory and historical materialism
• Concepts: class struggle, ideology, alienation, commodification
• Literature as a reflection and critique of socio-economic conditions
• Analysis of power structures and capitalism in texts
• Notable theorists: Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, Terry Eagleton

7. Postcolonial Criticism

• Context: legacy of colonialism and imperialism
• Key themes: cultural identity, hybridity, mimicry, resistance
• Theories of Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak
• Decolonizing literary studies and recovering marginalized voices
• Case studies of postcolonial literature

8. Queer Theory

• Challenging normative gender and sexuality constructs
• Concepts: fluidity, subversion, heteronormativity
• Representation of LGBTQ+ identities in literature
• Key theorists: Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Judith Butler
• Queer readings and implications for literary analysis

9. Ecocriticism

• Literature and the environment: an emerging field
• Concepts: environmental justice, ecofeminism, Anthropocene
• Representation of nature and ecological concerns in texts
• Relationship between humanity and the natural world
• Key figures and contemporary debates

Summary and Integration

• Comparative analysis of theories
• Applying multiple perspectives to a single text
• Critical reflection on theory and practice