Literary theory consists of various principles, beliefs and underlying ideas that are used to understand and analyze different pieces of texts in literature. An interesting way to view literary theory is by considering theories as tools. Critics take these tool and apply it to a text in an attempt to look at it from a different perspective. It grants them the ability to examine a particular aspect of a text, which they regard of significant importance. When these theories are passed onto readers, it allows them to observe texts in a different manner and to challenge the content before them.
One theoretical perspective that challenges conventional ideas about literature would be structuralism. This theory is an, “intellectual movement, which …show more content…
At institutes, students were taught to only read texts closely. There was very little attention being given to larger structures such as genres, themes, or the author. For example Cambridge school, during the 19th century, did not appreciate the idea of exploring historical as well as the biographical context of a text because they preferred close readings instead. However, in more recent years, after the introduction of structuralism in literary theory, institutes now encourage students to read texts in a broader context so as to observe if there are any underlining themes or …show more content…
This can be split into two waves. First wave feminism is where critics noticed a trend in literature. They began to argue that male writers often demean women by creating weak female characters that are marginalized. The second wave, also known as gynocriticism, has three aspects. The first aspect examines female writers and where their position lies within literary history. The second is exploring how female characters are presented in both female and male texts. Thirdly, it focuses on texts that were written by female authors. Literature has been recognized as, “a major way of knowing," (M. Miller, Suzanne) and feminist literary critics realized this and felt that it raised major issues. They understood that literature plays a significant role in society since it is a way of knowing. It is a medium used to teach individuals how to make sense of the world around them. Not only does literature reflect society's values and beliefs, but it also plays a role in shaping it. Feminist literary criticism aims to bring the reader’s attention to how women are presented in literature. It makes them question how a male author would present a female character and whether this was due to a patriarchal
One theoretical perspective that challenges conventional ideas about literature would be structuralism. This theory is an, “intellectual movement, which …show more content…
At institutes, students were taught to only read texts closely. There was very little attention being given to larger structures such as genres, themes, or the author. For example Cambridge school, during the 19th century, did not appreciate the idea of exploring historical as well as the biographical context of a text because they preferred close readings instead. However, in more recent years, after the introduction of structuralism in literary theory, institutes now encourage students to read texts in a broader context so as to observe if there are any underlining themes or …show more content…
This can be split into two waves. First wave feminism is where critics noticed a trend in literature. They began to argue that male writers often demean women by creating weak female characters that are marginalized. The second wave, also known as gynocriticism, has three aspects. The first aspect examines female writers and where their position lies within literary history. The second is exploring how female characters are presented in both female and male texts. Thirdly, it focuses on texts that were written by female authors. Literature has been recognized as, “a major way of knowing," (M. Miller, Suzanne) and feminist literary critics realized this and felt that it raised major issues. They understood that literature plays a significant role in society since it is a way of knowing. It is a medium used to teach individuals how to make sense of the world around them. Not only does literature reflect society's values and beliefs, but it also plays a role in shaping it. Feminist literary criticism aims to bring the reader’s attention to how women are presented in literature. It makes them question how a male author would present a female character and whether this was due to a patriarchal