Rent 9780205716746 | Texts and Contexts : Writing about Literature with Critical Theory

Summary Table of Contents

Texts and Contexts: Writing about Literature presents a user-friendly introduction to contemporary critical theories from new criticism to cultural studies as part of the practice of analyzing and writing about literature. Some of the changes To The new edition include enhanced coverage of film and other genres reflecting the growing interest in film as an academic field and engaging students. New sample texts and projects, all classroom-tested, appear at the end of every theory chapter, along with guiding questions to offer more practice for s... MORE

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Preface	p. xiii
An Introduction, Theoretically	p. 3
Textual Tours	p. 3
Checking Some Baggage	p. 5
"Is there one correct interpretation of a literary work?"	p. 6
"So, are all opinions about literature equally valid?"	p. 6
Anything to Declare?	p. 9
Theory enables practice	p. 9
You already have a theoretical stance	p. 10
This is an introduction	p. 11
Here's the plan	p. 11
Recommended Further Reading	p. 12
Critical Worlds: A Selective Tour	p. 15
Brendan Gill, from Here at "The New Yorker"	p. 16
New Criticism	p. 17
Reader-Response Criticism	p. 19
Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism	p. 22
Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies	p. 24
Psychological Criticism	p. 29
Political Criticism	p. 31
Other Approaches	p. 34
Works Cited	p. 35
Recommended Further Reading	p. 35
Unifying the Work: New Criticism	p. 37
The Purpose of New Criticism	p. 37
Basic Principles Reflected	p. 38
Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica	p. 38
Radicals in Tweed Jackets	p. 42
How to Do New Criticism	p. 45
Film and Other Genres	p. 47
The Writing Process: A Sample Essay	p. 49
Gwendolyn Brooks, The Mother	p. 49
Preparing to Write	p. 50
Shaping	p. 52
Drafting	p. 53
Practicing New Criticism	p. 55
Lucille Clifton, forgiving my father	p. 55
Questions	p. 56
Stephen Shu-ning Liu, My Father's Martial Art	p. 56
Questions	p. 57
Ben Jonson, On My First Son	p. 57
Questions	p. 58
The Parable of the Prodigal Son	p. 58
Questions	p. 60
Useful Terms for New Criticism	p. 60
Checklist for New Criticism	p. 61
Works Cited	p. 62
Recommended Further Reading	p. 62
Creating the Text: Reader-Response Criticism	p. 65
The Purpose of Reader-Response Criticism	p. 65
New Criticism as the Old Criticism	p. 65
The Reader Emerges	p. 66
Hypertextual Readers	p. 70
How to Do Reader-Response Criticism	p. 71
Preparing to Respond	p. 71
Sandra Cisneros, Love Poem #1	p. 71
Making Sense	p. 72
Subjective Response	p. 73
Receptive Response	p. 75
The Writing Process: A Sample Essay	p. 80
Preparing to Respond	p. 80
Ernest Hemingway, A Very Short Story	p. 81
Preparing to Write	p. 85
Shaping	p. 88
Drafting	p. 88
Practicing Reader-Response Criticism	p. 91
Michael Drayton, Since There's No Help	p. 91
Questions	p. 92
Judith Minty, Killing the Bear	p. 92
Questions	p. 96
Caroline Fraser, All Bears	p. 97
Questions	p. 98
Emily Dickinson, Through the Dark Sod	p. 98
Questions	p. 98
Useful Terms for Reader-Response Criticism	p. 99
Checklist: Using Reader-Response Criticism	p. 99
Works Cited	p. 100
Recommended Further Reading	p. 100
Opening Up the Text: Structuralism and Deconstruction	p. 103
The Purposes of Structuralism and Deconstruction	p. 103
Structuralism and Semiotics	p. 104
Post-structuralism and Deconstruction	p. 105
How to Do Structuralism and Deconstruction	p. 111
William Butler Yeats, Sailing to Byzantium	p. 111
The Writing Process: A Sample Essay	p. 117
Amy Clampitt, Discovery	p. 117
Preparing to Write	p. 118
Shaping	p. 123
Drafting	p. 125
Practicing Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism	p. 129
Questions	p. 129
William Blake, London	p. 129
Cut through the anxiety, the unknown, the hassle �	p. 130
Questions	p. 131
Linda Pastan, Ethics	p. 132
Questions	p. 133
John Donne, Death Be Not Proud	p. 133
Questions	p. 134
Useful Terms for Deconstruction	p. 134
Checklist for Deconstruction	p. 136
Works Cited	p. 136
Recommended Further Reading	p. 136
Connecting the Text: Varieties of Historical Criticism	p. 139
The Purposes of Biographical, Historical, Postcolonial, Ethnic, Marxist, and Cultural Studies	p. 139
Biographical and Historical Criticism	p. 140
John Milton, When I Consider How My Light Is Spent	p. 140
Cultural Studies	p. 144
New Historicism	p. 147
History as Text	p. 148
Marxist Criticism	p. 150
Postcolonial and Ethnic Studies	p. 155
How to Do Historical Criticism	p. 158
The Writing Process: Sample Essays	p. 160
John Cheever, Reunion	p. 160
A Biographical Essay	p. 163
Preparing to Write	p. 163
Shaping	p. 167
Drafting	p. 170
A New Historical Essay	p. 173
Preparing to Write	p. 173
Shaping	p. 174
Drafting	p. 175
Practicing Historical Criticism	p. 178
Useful Terms for Historical, Cultural, and Postcolonial Criticism	p. 179
Checklist for Historical Criticism	p. 185
Works Cited	p. 185
Recommended Further Reading	p. 186
Minding the Work: Psychological Criticism	p. 191
The Purpose of Psychological Criticism	p. 191
How to Do Psychological Criticism	p. 196
William Wordsworth, A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal	p. 197
The Writing Process: A Sample Essay	p. 200
William Shakespeare, Hamlet 4.4.32-66	p. 201
Preparing to Write	p. 202
Shaping	p. 205
Drafting	p. 206
Practicing Psychological Criticism	p. 211
Emily Dickinson, A Narrow Fellow in the Grass	p. 211
Questions	p. 212
Marianne Moore, O to Be a Dragon	p. 212
Questions	p. 213
Matthew Arnold, Dover Beach	p. 213
Question	p. 214
Your Dream Here	p. 214
Useful Terms for Psychological Criticism	p. 214
Checklist for Psychological Criticism	p. 215
Works Cited	p. 215
Recommended Further Reading	p. 216
Gendering the Text: Feminist Criticism, Postfeminism, and Queer Theory	p. 219
How to Do Feminist Criticism, Postfeminism, and Queer Theory	p. 226
Mary Astell, from A Serious Proposal	p. 229
The Writing Process: A Sample Essay	p. 234
Samuel Johnson, To Miss _____ On Her Playing upon the Harpsichord �	p. 235
Preparing to Respond	p. 236
Shaping	p. 237
Drafting	p. 239
Revision: Gay and Lesbian Criticism	p. 241
Practicing Feminist, Postfeminist, and Queer Theory Criticism	p. 243
William Shakespeare, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?	p. 243
Questions	p. 244
Emily Dickinson, My Life had stood-a Loaded Gun	p. 244
Questions	p. 245
Tobias Wolff, Say Yes	p. 245
Questions	p. 249
Gender in the Movies	p. 249
Useful Terms for Political Criticism	p. 250
Checklist for Political Criticism	p. 251
Works Cited	p. 252
Recommended Further Reading	p. 253
Appendix 1	p. 254
The Canonization	p. 254
Appendix 2	p. 256
A Note on How Theories Relate	p. 256
Credits	p. 260
Index	p. 262
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