APPROACHES IN APPROACHES IN INTERPRETING INTERPRETING

LITERATURELITERATURE

BY: PROF. ESTELITA F. PINEDABY: PROF. ESTELITA F. PINEDA

LITERARY CRITICISM MAPLITERARY CRITICISM MAP

REAL REAL WORLDWORLD

AUDIENCEAUDIENCEREADERREADER

WORK ITSELFWORK ITSELF

READER RESPONSEREADER RESPONSE

REALREALWORLDWORLD

AUDIENCEAUDIENCE

OTHEROTHERLITERATURELITERATURE

AUTHOR’AUTHOR’

AUDIENCEAUDIENCEREADERREADER

WORK ITSELFWORK ITSELF

BEYONDBEYONDTHETHE

WORLDWORLD

THE NATURE OF THE NATURE OF LITERARY CRITICISM LITERARY CRITICISM

1.1. INEVITABLE PRODUCT OF THE READING INEVITABLE PRODUCT OF THE READING PROCESS ITSELFPROCESS ITSELF

2. BEGINS EVERYTIME WE CLOSE OUR BOOK 2. BEGINS EVERYTIME WE CLOSE OUR BOOK AND REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE READAND REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE READ

3. IF THIS HAS MOVED US INTELLECTUALLY 3. IF THIS HAS MOVED US INTELLECTUALLY OR EMOTIONALLYOR EMOTIONALLY

4. WE PAUSE TO MEASURE, EXPLORE OR 4. WE PAUSE TO MEASURE, EXPLORE OR EXPLAIN OUR RESPONSES.EXPLAIN OUR RESPONSES.

IF WE CHOOSE TO IF WE CHOOSE TO ORGANIZE AND DEFINE THESE ORGANIZE AND DEFINE THESE

RESPONSES AND RESPONSES AND COMMUNICATE THEM, WE COMMUNICATE THEM, WE HAVE IN THAT MOMENT HAVE IN THAT MOMENT

BECOME A LITERARY CRITIC.BECOME A LITERARY CRITIC.

THREE ASSUMPSTIONS THREE ASSUMPSTIONS OF LITERARY CRITICISMOF LITERARY CRITICISM1. A WORK OF LITERARY 1. A WORK OF LITERARY ART HAS SIGNIFICANT ART HAS SIGNIFICANT

RELATIONSHIPS & RELATIONSHIPS & PATTERNS OF MEANING PATTERNS OF MEANING

THAT THE READER-CRITIC THAT THE READER-CRITIC CAN RECOVER AND CAN RECOVER AND

SHARESHARE

2. LITERARY CRITICISM 2. LITERARY CRITICISM PRESUPPOSES THE PRESUPPOSES THE

ABILITY OF THE READER-ABILITY OF THE READER-TURNED-CRITIC TO TURNED-CRITIC TO

TRANSLATE HIS TRANSLATE HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE WORK INTO TERMS WORK INTO TERMS

THAT CAN BE THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY UNDERSTOOD BY

OTHERS.OTHERS.

3. LITERARY CRITICISM 3. LITERARY CRITICISM PRESUPPOSES THAT THE PRESUPPOSES THAT THE

CRITIC’S EXPERIENCE CRITIC’S EXPERIENCE OF THE WORK, ONCE OF THE WORK, ONCE

ORGANIZED AND ORGANIZED AND ARTICULATED, WILL BE ARTICULATED, WILL BE

GENERALLY COMPATIBLE GENERALLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE EXPERIENCE

OF OTHERS.OF OTHERS.

I. FORMALIST OR NEW I. FORMALIST OR NEW CRITICISMCRITICISM

A. EMPHASIZES THE WORKA. EMPHASIZES THE WORK

AS AN INDEPENDENT AS AN INDEPENDENT CREATION. A SELF-CREATION. A SELF-CONTAINED UNIT, CONTAINED UNIT,

SOMETHING TO BE STUDIED SOMETHING TO BE STUDIED IN ITSLEF. IN ITSLEF.

B. EMPHASIS IS ON THE FORM B. EMPHASIS IS ON THE FORM OF THE WORK, THE OF THE WORK, THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTSTHE PARTS..

C. IT IS IN ESSENCE, INTRINSIC C. IT IS IN ESSENCE, INTRINSIC CRITICISM, FOR IT CRITICISM, FOR IT

CONCENTRATES ON THE CONCENTRATES ON THE WORK ITSELF, INDEPENDENT WORK ITSELF, INDEPENDENT

OF ITS WRITER AND HIS OF ITS WRITER AND HIS BACKGROUND.BACKGROUND.

D. IT ASSUMES THAT THE D. IT ASSUMES THAT THE AUTHOR SHAPED THE POEM, AUTHOR SHAPED THE POEM,

PLAY OR STORY SO FULLY PLAY OR STORY SO FULLY THAT THE WORK GUIDES THE THAT THE WORK GUIDES THE

READER’SREADER’S RESPONSE. RESPONSE.

2. DECONSTRUCTIVE OR 2. DECONSTRUCTIVE OR POSTSTRUCTURALIST POSTSTRUCTURALIST

CRITICISMCRITICISMA. A DIRECT OPPOSITEOF A. A DIRECT OPPOSITEOF

FROMALIST CRITICISMFROMALIST CRITICISM B. CREATED AND B. CREATED AND

PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED BY JACQUES DERRIDA, AN BY JACQUES DERRIDA, AN ALGERIAN-BORN FRENCH ALGERIAN-BORN FRENCH

PHILOSOPHER OF LANGUAGEPHILOSOPHER OF LANGUAGEC. ASSUMES THAT THE WORLD C. ASSUMES THAT THE WORLD

IS UNKNOWABLE AND THAT IS UNKNOWABLE AND THAT LANGUAGE IS ELUSIVE, LANGUAGE IS ELUSIVE, UNSTABLE, UNFAITHFULUNSTABLE, UNFAITHFUL

C. DERRIDA USED THE C. DERRIDA USED THE THEORIES OF SWISS THEORIES OF SWISS LINGUIST,FERDINAND LINGUIST,FERDINAND

DE SAUSSUREDE SAUSSURE

C. S- THAT WORDS, THE C. S- THAT WORDS, THE SIGNIFIER, ARE NOT SIGNIFIER, ARE NOT THE THINGS THEY THE THINGS THEY

NAME AND INDEED, NAME AND INDEED, ARE ONLY ARE ONLY

ARBITRARILY ARBITRARILY ASSOICIATED WITH ASSOICIATED WITH

THOSE THINGS.THOSE THINGS.

*LANGUAGE IS A SYSTEM OF *LANGUAGE IS A SYSTEM OF SIGNS, THE SIGN BEING THE SIGNS, THE SIGN BEING THE

BASIC UNIT OF MEANING.BASIC UNIT OF MEANING.•THE SIGN COMPRISES A THE SIGN COMPRISES A

SIGNIFIER (WORD IMAGE, VISUAL SIGNIFIER (WORD IMAGE, VISUAL OR ACOUSTIC) EXAM. TREE AND OR ACOUSTIC) EXAM. TREE AND THE SIGNIFIED IS THE MENTAL THE SIGNIFIED IS THE MENTAL

CONCEPT OF A TREE.CONCEPT OF A TREE.•A WORD, LIKE ANY SIGN IS WHAT A WORD, LIKE ANY SIGN IS WHAT d. CALLED A DEFRRED PRESENCE, d. CALLED A DEFRRED PRESENCE,

THAT IS , THE THINGS BEING THAT IS , THE THINGS BEING SIGNIFIED IS NOT ACTUALLY SIGNIFIED IS NOT ACTUALLY

PRESENT.PRESENT.

* AND EVERY SIGNIFIED CONCEPT * AND EVERY SIGNIFIED CONCEPT INVOKES OTHERS IN AN ENDLESS INVOKES OTHERS IN AN ENDLESS

STRING OF CONNOTATIONS.STRING OF CONNOTATIONS.

OF THE WORK INTO TERMS THAT OF THE WORK INTO TERMS THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY OTHERS.CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY OTHERS.

* PAUL DE MANN: d. IS NOT REALLY * PAUL DE MANN: d. IS NOT REALLY INTERPRETATION, OR CHOOSING INTERPRETATION, OR CHOOSING

AMONG POSSIBLE MEANINGS. IT IS AMONG POSSIBLE MEANINGS. IT IS MORE READING, AN ACT OF MORE READING, AN ACT OF

AWARENES THAT IF THERE ARE AWARENES THAT IF THERE ARE LUCID MOMENTS, THERE ARE ALSO LUCID MOMENTS, THERE ARE ALSO

“BLIND SPOTS” THAT MUST BE “BLIND SPOTS” THAT MUST BE ELUCIDATED.ELUCIDATED.

*JAY CLAYTON SAID *JAY CLAYTON SAID WHAT STARTED AS A WHAT STARTED AS A

THEORY HAS THEORY HAS DEVELOPED INTO A DEVELOPED INTO A METHOD USED BY METHOD USED BY

CRITICS CRITICS INDECONSTRUCTING INDECONSTRUCTING

STEREOTYPED IDEAS IN STEREOTYPED IDEAS IN SOCIAL, LEGAL AND SOCIAL, LEGAL AND

POLITICAL DIMENSIONS POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF SOCIETY. OF SOCIETY.

* SAID (1978) DECONSTRUCTED * SAID (1978) DECONSTRUCTED THE EAST / WEST, ORIENT / THE EAST / WEST, ORIENT / OCCIDENT OPPOSITION AND OCCIDENT OPPOSITION AND THE STREOTYPES ENTAILED, THE STREOTYPES ENTAILED, ARGUING THAT THEY NOT ARGUING THAT THEY NOT

ONLY FACILITATED ONLY FACILITATED COLONIZATION BUT STILL COLONIZATION BUT STILL

GOVERN WESTERN GOVERN WESTERN RELATIONS WITH ARABS AND RELATIONS WITH ARABS AND EASTERN COUNTRIES TODAY.EASTERN COUNTRIES TODAY.

MYTH CRITICISM MYTH CRITICISM ANALYZES ANALYZES MYTHIC STRUCTURES AND MYTHIC STRUCTURES AND

THEMES AS THEY ARE THEMES AS THEY ARE RECURRENTLY RECURRENTLY

MANIFESTED IN LITERARY MANIFESTED IN LITERARY GENRES GENRES

• A MYTHIC READING OF A MYTHIC READING OF MILTON’S PARADISE LOST MILTON’S PARADISE LOST AND J. CONRAD’S HEART AND J. CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS SEE THE OF DARKNESS SEE THE

MYTHIC “NIGHT MYTHIC “NIGHT JOURNEY”.JOURNEY”.

• ARCHETTYPAL CRITICISM:ARCHETTYPAL CRITICISM:• NORTHORN FRYE, A NORTHORN FRYE, A CANADIAN MYTH CRITICCANADIAN MYTH CRITIC

*MYTH CRITICS FOCUS SOECIFICALLY *MYTH CRITICS FOCUS SOECIFICALLY ON IDENTIFYING AND ANALYZING ON IDENTIFYING AND ANALYZING RECURRENT MYTHIC STRUCTURES RECURRENT MYTHIC STRUCTURES AND THEMES IN LITERARY WORKS.AND THEMES IN LITERARY WORKS.

*ARCHETYPAL CRITICS APPROACH *ARCHETYPAL CRITICS APPROACH WORK FROM A BROADER WORK FROM A BROADER

PERSPECTIVE, IDENTIFYING PERSPECTIVE, IDENTIFYING ARCHETYPES, THOSE CROSS-ARCHETYPES, THOSE CROSS-

CULTURAL IMAGES, FIGURES AND CULTURAL IMAGES, FIGURES AND STORY PATTERNS MANIFESTED IN STORY PATTERNS MANIFESTED IN

AWIDE VARIETY OF LITERARY AWIDE VARIETY OF LITERARY WORKS.WORKS.

* CARL JUNG: IMAGES, FIGURES, * CARL JUNG: IMAGES, FIGURES, CHARACTER TYPES, SETTINGS AND CHARACTER TYPES, SETTINGS AND STORY PATTERNS ARE UNIVERSALLY STORY PATTERNS ARE UNIVERSALLY

SHARED BY PEOPLE ACROSS SHARED BY PEOPLE ACROSS CULTURES CULTURES

3. PSYCHOLOGICAL 3. PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHAPPROACH

A.A. EXAMINES THE WRITER & EXAMINES THE WRITER & THE WRITER’S WORKS IN THE WRITER’S WORKS IN

THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FRAMEWORK OF FREUDIAN PSYCHOLOG.FREUDIAN PSYCHOLOG.

B.B. A CENTRAL DOCTRINE OF A CENTRAL DOCTRINE OF FREUDIAN PSYCHOLOGY - FREUDIAN PSYCHOLOGY - THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX, THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX,

THE VIEW THAT AL MALES THE VIEW THAT AL MALES UNCONSCIOUSLY WISH TO UNCONSCIOUSLY WISH TO DISPLACE THEIR FATHERS DISPLACE THEIR FATHERS

AND TO SLEEP WITH AND TO SLEEP WITH THEIR MOTHERS.THEIR MOTHERS.

C. CURRENT PSYCHOANALYTIC C. CURRENT PSYCHOANALYTIC THINKING ABOUT CHILDHOOD THINKING ABOUT CHILDHOOD BERIEVEMENT EXPLAINS THE BERIEVEMENT EXPLAINS THE

FANTASY OF BEING FANTASY OF BEING SWALLOWED UP AS SWALLOWED UP AS

REPRESENTING A DESIRE, REPRESENTING A DESIRE, MIXED WITH DREAD, TO MIXED WITH DREAD, TO

MERGE WITH THE DEAD; THE MERGE WITH THE DEAD; THE WISH TO DEVOUR WISH TO DEVOUR

REPRESENTS A PRIMITIVE REPRESENTS A PRIMITIVE ATTEMPT AT PRESERVING ATTEMPT AT PRESERVING

LOVED ONES, INCORPORATING LOVED ONES, INCORPORATING THEM SO AS NOT TO LOSE THEM SO AS NOT TO LOSE

THEM.THEM.

(THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO)(THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO)

D. PSYCHOANALYTIC D. PSYCHOANALYTIC INTERPRETATIONS USUALLY INTERPRETATIONS USUALLY TAKE US AWAY FROM WHAT TAKE US AWAY FROM WHAT THE AUTHOR CONSCIOUSLY THE AUTHOR CONSCIOUSLY

INTENDED. INTENDED.

E. THEY TRY TO TELL US WHAT E. THEY TRY TO TELL US WHAT THE WORK REVEALS, THE WORK REVEALS,

WHETHER OR NOT THE WHETHER OR NOT THE WRITER IS AWARE OF IT.WRITER IS AWARE OF IT.

F. IN HAMLET AND OEDIPUS, BY F. IN HAMLET AND OEDIPUS, BY ERNEST JONES, HE ARGUED ERNEST JONES, HE ARGUED

THAT HAMLET DELAYS KILLING THAT HAMLET DELAYS KILLING CLAUDIUS BECAUSE C. HAS CLAUDIUS BECAUSE C. HAS

DONE EXACTLY WHAT HAMLET DONE EXACTLY WHAT HAMLET HIMSELF WANTED TO DO.HIMSELF WANTED TO DO.

GENDER CRITICISM GENDER CRITICISM REJECT THE ESSENTIALIST REJECT THE ESSENTIALIST

VIEW THAT GENDER IS VIEW THAT GENDER IS NATURAL OR INNATE NATURAL OR INNATE

TAKE THE CONSTRUCTIONIST TAKE THE CONSTRUCTIONIST POSITION THAT GENDER IS A POSITION THAT GENDER IS A SOCIAL ARTIFACT, A LEARNED SOCIAL ARTIFACT, A LEARNED

BEHAVIOR, A PRODUCT OF BEHAVIOR, A PRODUCT OF ALNGUAGE AND CULTURE.ALNGUAGE AND CULTURE.

QUEER THEORISTS VIEW QUEER THEORISTS VIEW SEXUALITY NOT AS A FIXED SEXUALITY NOT AS A FIXED SET OF BINARY OPPOSITION SET OF BINARY OPPOSITION LIMITED TO HETERO- AND LIMITED TO HETERO- AND

HOMOSEWUALITY BUT AS A HOMOSEWUALITY BUT AS A CONTINUUM CONTINUUM

ENCOMPASSING BEHAVIORS ENCOMPASSING BEHAVIORS AND RESPONSESAND RESPONSES

GAY AND LESBIAN CRITICS TAKE GAY AND LESBIAN CRITICS TAKE AN ESSENTIALIST POSITION, THAT AN ESSENTIALIST POSITION, THAT

SEXUALITY IS INNATE RATHER SEXUALITY IS INNATE RATHER THAN CULTURALLY PRODUCED.THAN CULTURALLY PRODUCED.

GENDER CRITICS HAVE FOCUSED GENDER CRITICS HAVE FOCUSED AS MUCH ON MEN AS WOMEN, AS MUCH ON MEN AS WOMEN, ANALYZING MASCULINITY AS A ANALYZING MASCULINITY AS A COMPLEX CONSTRUCT THAT COMPLEX CONSTRUCT THAT

PRODUCES AHOST OF PRODUCES AHOST OF BEHAVIORS AND GOALS SUCH AS BEHAVIORS AND GOALS SUCH AS PERFORMANCE AND CONQUEST.PERFORMANCE AND CONQUEST.

*STEPHEN CLARK ANALYZED *STEPHEN CLARK ANALYZED T.S ELIOT’S ADDRESS IN T.S ELIOT’S ADDRESS IN

“THE WASTE LAND” TO A “THE WASTE LAND” TO A SPECIFICALLY MASCULINE SPECIFICALLY MASCULINE

AUDIENCE-”YOU,! AUDIENCE-”YOU,! HYPOCRITE LECTEUR! HYPOCRITE LECTEUR!

MON SEMBLABLE, MON MON SEMBLABLE, MON FRERE!FRERE!

A MASCULINE PSYCHOLOGY A MASCULINE PSYCHOLOGY OF SEXUAL FEAR AND OF SEXUAL FEAR AND DESIRED REATLIATION.DESIRED REATLIATION.

*MICHEL FOUCALTARGUED THAT THE *MICHEL FOUCALTARGUED THAT THE HOMOSEXUAL/HETEROSEXUAL HOMOSEXUAL/HETEROSEXUAL

DISTINCTION IS AS MUCH A DISTINCTION IS AS MUCH A CULTURAL CONSTRUCT AS THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCT AS THE

MASCULINE/FEMININE DICHOTOMYMASCULINE/FEMININE DICHOTOMY

*THEY HAVE USED THE VERY *THEY HAVE USED THE VERY VARIETY OF SEXUAL VARIETY OF SEXUAL

IDENTIFICATIONS, BEHAVIORS AND IDENTIFICATIONS, BEHAVIORS AND RESPONSES TO EXPOSE THE RESPONSES TO EXPOSE THE INADEQUACY OF GENDER INADEQUACY OF GENDER

AS A CATEGORYAS A CATEGORY

*GAY AND LESBIAN CRITICISM*GAY AND LESBIAN CRITICISM

*LESBIAN POET-CRITIC ADRIENNE *LESBIAN POET-CRITIC ADRIENNE RICH READ EMILY DICKINSON’S RICH READ EMILY DICKINSON’S

POETRY AS A LESBIANPOETRY AS A LESBIAN

* BARBARA SMITH POINTED TO * BARBARA SMITH POINTED TO CLOSE NEL AND SULA’ CLOSE CLOSE NEL AND SULA’ CLOSE

FRIENDSHIP IN TONY MORRISON’S FRIENDSHIP IN TONY MORRISON’S NOVEL “SULA” AND WHAT SHE NOVEL “SULA” AND WHAT SHE

IDENTIFIED AS MORRISON’S IDENTIFIED AS MORRISON’S CRITIQUE OF HETEROSEXUAL CRITIQUE OF HETEROSEXUAL

INSTITUTIONS AS MARRIAGE TO INSTITUTIONS AS MARRIAGE TO SUPPORT HER CLAIM.SUPPORT HER CLAIM.

POST-COLONIALISM POST-COLONIALISM • A POST-COLONIAL CRITIC A POST-COLONIAL CRITIC

RECOGNIZES THE SCARS OF RECOGNIZES THE SCARS OF HUMILIATING WOUNDS IN THE HUMILIATING WOUNDS IN THE

WRITERS LIKE CHINUA WRITERS LIKE CHINUA ACHEBE, PABLO NERUDA, ACHEBE, PABLO NERUDA,

RUSHDIE, AND EVEN IN OUR RUSHDIE, AND EVEN IN OUR OWN F. SIONIL JOSE.OWN F. SIONIL JOSE.

• PCLIT. REFERS TO BODY OF PCLIT. REFERS TO BODY OF LITERATURE WRITTEN BY LITERATURE WRITTEN BY AUTHORS WITH ROOTS IN AUTHORS WITH ROOTS IN

COUNTRIES THAT WERE ONCE COUNTRIES THAT WERE ONCE COLONIES ESTABLISHED BY COLONIES ESTABLISHED BY

WESTERN NATIONS.WESTERN NATIONS.• POST COLONIAL THEORY POST COLONIAL THEORY

REFERS TO A INTELLECTUAL REFERS TO A INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY THAT INTERROGATES INQUIRY THAT INTERROGATES

THE SITUATION OF THE SITUATION OF COLONIZED PEOPLES COLONIZED PEOPLES

BOTH DURING AND AFTER BOTH DURING AND AFTER COLONIZATION.COLONIZATION.

*ANTI-IMPERIALIST IN *ANTI-IMPERIALIST IN ANTUREANTURE

• ADVOCATES: EDWARD ADVOCATES: EDWARD SAID, A PALESTINIAN-SAID, A PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN SCHOLARAMERICAN SCHOLAR

• INDINA SCHOLARS LIKE INDINA SCHOLARS LIKE SPIVAK AND HOMI SPIVAK AND HOMI

BHABHABHABHA