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Literary Theory Flashcards

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1
Q

new criticism

A

a theory that examines literature purely through formal elements & composition of the text, believing that outside implications have no value in analysis

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2
Q

russian formalism

A

a theory that analyzes mechanical structure exclusively and its contribution to meaning

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3
Q

naturalism

A

the application of scientific principles

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4
Q

objective correlative

A

a group of events that evoke emotion

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5
Q

describe the historical context of formalism

A

core concepts traced back to 400 BCE - 1700 CE found in medieval, renaissance, and classical works
gained more attention in the romantic era in 1790-1850

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6
Q

who were the key contributors to formalism?

A

the fugitives: John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, and Cleanth Brooks↔the first to extensively develop formalism
Thomas Stearns Eliot→a formalist theorist whose poetry and critical essays reaffirmed and influenced the formation of the methodology
Ivor Armstrong Richards→a formalist theorist whose works contributed to the foundation of the theory
Victor Shklovsky→pioneer Russian formalist who is best known for his development of the concept of defamiliarization

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7
Q

what are the limitations of formalism

A

too rigid + neglectful of diverse implications
considered outdated + overlooked by modern critics today

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8
Q

reader response

A

a theory that relies on readers to add value and content to the texts

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9
Q

calvinism/theology

A

the study of the sovereignty of god

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10
Q

affective fallacy

A

the emotional impacts of a text

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11
Q

virtues & vices

A

qualities from the Bible that contain good and bad

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12
Q

horizons of expectations

A

a shared mental framework within a generation

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13
Q

reception theory

A

the emphasis on a reader’s reception + interpretation

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14
Q

describe the historical context of reader response

A

opposed New Criticism in the second half of twentieth century

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15
Q

who were the key contributors to reader response?

A

I. A. Richards, Louise Rosenblatt, Walker Gibson↔the predecessors of reader response by affirming the role of the reader
Wolfang Iser↔a reader response theorist who believed that a text should not be considered an object, but rather by its effect on the reader
Hans Robert Jauss
Normal Holland↔a reader response theorist who focused on the unconscious of the reader
Stanley Fish↔a reader response theorist who believed that literary meaning must be negotiated by readers rather than extracted

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16
Q

what are the limitations of reader response?

A

too subjective
appeals to too small of an audience
gives too much power to the reader

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17
Q

marxism

A

a theory that analyzes class power dynamics + natural power dynamics that exist between rich and poor

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18
Q

structure

A

material world

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19
Q

superstructure

A

intangible world

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20
Q

commodity fetish

A

things taking on a value independent of its original components

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21
Q

dialectic of classes

A

the idea that the battle between classes is omnipresent

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22
Q

describe the historical context of Marxism

A

Hegel and Marx create the Communist Manifesto in 1848
in the early 20th century, Marxist ideals begin to spread through Europe
after WWII, Marxism became widespread, especially in the UK

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23
Q

who were the key contributors to Marxism?

A

Karl Marx↔a marxist theorist who originally theorized the marxism as a form of socialism
Georg Friendrich Hegal↔a Marxist theorist who developed a philosophical framework relating the mind and material
Louis Althusser↔a Marxist theorist who developed the idea of genetic marxism
Raymond Williams↔a Marxist theorist who established complex feeling and found correspondences in literature and ideology
Terry Eagleton↔a Marxist theorist who found that literary works are influenced by a large number of other factors other than economic structure

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24
Q

what are the limitations of Marxism?

A

variability leads to lack of consensus
class structure is too complicated
politics is not entirely dependent on economic relations
dialectic approach is unscientific and unbeneficial

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25
cultural materialism
a theory that focuses on the impact of culture and people on the production of literary texts and how they are influenced
26
structure of feeling
refers to the different ways of thinking vying to emerge at one time in history
27
hegemonic
the social, economic, cultural, or ideological power of a dominant group exerted on larger society
28
describe the historical context of cultural materialism
an influential group of British intellectuals used Marxist analysis to read literary texts in the 1950s Marvin Harris coined the term "cultural materialism" in 1968 Raymond Williams furthers Harris' theory, focusing on social class and propagation of values in the 1980s Matthew Arnold attempted to redefine British culture in the late 19th century Analysis is still used to present day, expanded to include disparities related to race, gender, sexuality
29
who were the key contributors of cultural materialism?↓
F. R. Leavis Raymond WIlliams Stuart Hall Walter Benjaminwhat are the limitations of cultural materialism?↓
30
what are the limitations of cultural materialism?↓
too simple + straightforward use of scientific method
31
new historicism
a theory that prioritizes historical context and literary work and their effects on each othe
32
symbolic capital
a form of power/privilege not related to economic wealth
33
circulation of ideas
the way in which ideas propagate in a population
34
habitus
habits, skills, and behaviour shaped by culture + personal life experiences
35
discourse
the use of language to emphasize a certain point/elicit a desired reader response
36
subversion
an attempt to overthrow/undermine a government or political system
37
describe the historical context of new historicism↓
arose in opposition to the ahistoricism of New Criticism in the late 1970s also opposed structuralism + post-structuralism for being too formalist new historicism coined by Stephen Greenblatt in early 1980s
38
who were the key contributors to new historicism?↓
Stephen Greenblatt↔a contributor to new historicism who coined the term "new historicism" Frederic Jameson↔a contributor to new historicism who blamed capitalism for causing a false distinction between public and private Michel Foucault↔a new historicist contributor who inspired the view of history as textual, that neither literary text nor history is more “true” than the other Jean-Francois Lyotard↔a new historicist contributor who Argues that capitalism forced a deceitful integration of private and public worlds Carolyn Porter↔a new historicist contributor who credits the emergence of American, Women’s, and Afro-American Studies in universities and colleges to bringing in new historicism as a new lens in literary criticism
39
what are the limitations of new historicism?↓
discredits literature in history ignores literary nuance + lacks in-depth analysis focuses too much on historical aspects seems to invalidate all forms of knowledge, even their own
40
structuralism
a theory that examines strucute in language and how words and identities relate to a system
41
syntagmatic
an approach to analysis of word by word reading
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styntagms
parts of a sentence
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synchronic
the study of language as it currently exists
44
diachronic
the study of language as how it develops through time
45
la langue
language, a system possessed by the members of a community
46
la parole
words and speech, a specific application of la langue
47
signifier
a conventional sound construction
48
significiation
the meaning of the signifier
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sign
the word itself
50
who were the key contributors to structualism?
Ferdinand de Saussure↔a structuralist contributor who believed than an item is only meaningful within its originating system and developed a syntagmatic approach Roman Jakobson↔a structuralist contributor who established the 6 functions of communication (referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalinguistic, poetic) Victor Shklovsky↔a russion formalism structuralist contributor who noted literature's tendency towards estrangement and defamiliarization, establishing that a narrative is composed of a story and a plot Levi-Strauss↔a french structuralist contributor who concentrated on paradigmatic approach (embedded) structures of discourse) Roland Barthes↔a structuralist contributor who classified 5 literary codes in fiction (proairetic code, hermeneutic code, cultural code, connotative code, symbolic code) Tzvetan Todorov↔a french structuralist contributor who believed that structuralists cannot interpret literary work and that authors cannot claim originality over their works Jonathan Culler↔a structuralist contributor who identified that an author codes a work, and the reader must decode it
51
what are the limitations of structuralism?
relies on the synthesis of all human knowledge assumes everyone has the same knowlege everyone will interpret text the same off of other factors
52
post-structuralism/deconstruction
a theory that emphasizes the contradictions, disorders, and dynamics within texts; opposes the idea of a single meaning and emphasizes that knowledge is inherently in a text, not created by readers
53
binary oppositions
a pair of directly opposite terms
54
who were the key contributors to post-structuralism/deconstruction?
Jacques Derrida↔a post-structuralist contributor who emphasized the idea that language is not logocentric and created the idea of binary oppositions Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak↔a post-structuralist contributor who established the concept of differance (language simplifies but cannot define) and track/trace (the significance of a sign is interpreted by what is doesn't signify; the sign contains trace of what it doesn't mean)
55
what are the limitations of post-structuralism/deconstruction?
refuses privilege to literature lacks seriousness to literature emphasis on theory over practical criticism promotes nihilism threatens stability of literature academia
56
dialogics
the idea that all language is interpreted throguh the relationship between people, as all language must be addressed to someone; believes that language is created by dialogue
57
who were the key contributors to dialogics?
Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin↔a dialogic contributor who emphasizes the idea of polyphonic discourse (authors and characters both have a voice) and that novelists can voice moral concerns through narrative techniques
58
psychological
a theory that applies psychoanalytical theories to interpret thematic + symbolic ideas; a text is an insight into the author's unconcous desires
59
id
desire & instinct principle
60
ego
reality principle
61
superego
ethical principle
62
libedo
physical drive or desire for sexual activity
63
catharsis
a process of releasing/purifying strong or rpressed emotions
64
oedipal complex
the desire for sexual activity with the parent of the opposite gender and a sense of rivalry between the parent of the same gender
65
psychoanalysis
a set of psychological theories and therapeutic methods originated by Sigmund Freud
66
yonic symbols
representations of female genitals
67
phallic symbols
representations of male genitals
68
who were the key contributors to psychological?
Sigmund Freud↔a psychological theorist known for psychoanalysis and his theories Jacques Lacan↔a psychological theorist that adapted Freud's theories to create his own
69
what are the key psychological theories?
Human Psyche of the Unconscious & Conscious: the idea that actions are motivated by psychological forces and that libido drives human behaviour Child Psychology: the idea that childhood and infancy is the phase of prime sexual experience with three erogenous zones being oral (eating), anal (elimination), and genital (reproduction) where childhood repression in these zones reflecting adult behaviour Jacques Lacan Theory: the idea that the unconscious is connected to the dynamics of language with the three erogenous zones being oral (linguistic progression), mirror stage (self-identification), and symbolic stage; displays reality as images of desire instead of logic
70
what are the limitations of psychological?
all proven wrong too philosophical cannot be used in scientific research
71
mythological
a theory that studies the mind and the very nature of a person, similar to that of psychology, but encompasses a wider range
72
archetype
a term used to illustrate universal symbols that cause a deep and occasionally unconscious response
73
archetypal motif
archetypal patterns that appear across all of literature
74
persona/mask
outward face that is presented to the world
75
shadow
animalistic side of personality
76
anima/animus
mirror image of biological self
77
describe the historical context of mythological/archetypal
dates back to beginning of human civilization anthropology more developed = deep exploration of archetypes in the mid 20th century further developed by Carl Jung and Northrup Frye
78
who were the key contributors to mythological/archetypal?
Carl Jung↔a mythological/archetypal theorist who founded analytical psychology and defined myths as stories and characters encoded within human nature Northrop Frye↔a mythological/archetypal theorist who divided literature into 5 categories based on the relationship to the protagonist
79
what are the limitations of mythological/archetypal
leans to the supernatural + religious cults archetypes are not universal symbols requires the viewer to carry an element of enthusiasm to understand the unconscious of the theory
80
feminism
a theory that concerns itself with the silencing and marginalization of women in patriarchal culture as well as developing world
81
Cultural Feminism
the idea that a woman’s culture would be more positive and nurturting than that of the patriarchy
82
Difference Feminism
the aim not of just equal rights but of establishing women’s differences from men
83
Constructivist Feminism
asks women and men to consider what it means to be gendered
84
Marxist and Materialist Feminism
lower-class women have a different view of feminist goals as opposed to middle-class, upper-class women
85
Third wave Theory/”Womanism”
concerns itself with the subjectivities of women of color, transgender politics and the rejection of gender binaries
86
Individualist Feminism
they call for freedom, choice, and personal responsibility
87
Patriarchal
control by men of a disproportionately large show of power
88
describe the historical context of feminism
First Wave Feminism (1848 - 1920s) = Women’s right to vote; Right to own property; Right to birth control Second Wave (WWII - 1970s = Equality; Anti-discrimination; Gender equity in social, political, legal, and economic rights Third Wave (1990s - present)= Direct result of 2nd wave; Benefitting privileged, white women rather than all women
89
who were the key contributors to feminism?↓
Judge Emily Murphy Henrietta Edwards Nellie McClung Louise McKinney Irene Parlby accomplishments included: Women were considered persons in Canada; Women could be appointed to Senate
90
gender studies
a theory that examines how meaning is created from texts with relevance to gender, race, ideology, nationality, etc
91
production analysis
consideration to the author motivation/reason, and things relating to production
92
textual analysis
examines how specific works of popular culture create meaning
93
audience analysis
asks how different groups of popular culture make similar or different sense of the text
94
historical analysis
investigates how the other three dimensions change over time
95
describe the historical context of cultural studies
arose from social turmoil of 1960s focus on ethnic groups marginalized to a dominant culture painful ethnic experiences drives ethnic literature derived from structuralism + post-structuralism
96
who were the key contributors to cultural studies?
Raymond Williams Richard Hoggard Stuart Hall Gloria Anzaldua↔a cultural contributor who redefined queerness and cultural movement Jade Snow Wong Samson Occom↔a cultural contributor who was influencial in developing cultural studies
97
what are the limitations of cultural studies?
not fueled by scientific research culture wards in academia biased + subjective focuses on the present too much
98
Postcolonial studies
at theory that examines the cultural, political, and economic legacy of colonialism and its impact on literature
99
Colonization
When a wealthier, more powerful nation exerts control over another nation
100
Settler colonialism
The replacement of indigenous populations with invasive settler societies
101
surrogate colonialism
when colonizing nations support settlers but does not directly associate with them
102
exploitation colonialism
taking resources away
103
plantation colonialism
turning a whole nation/country into one massive plantation (Jamaica)
104
internal colonialism
when ethnic group of one country dominates over the ethnic group of another country (systemic racism)
105
imperialism
extending a country’ power and influence over another nation through diplomacy (economic pressure) or military force
106
neo-colonialism
modern-day colonialism
107
the Orient
ranging from the middle-east, north africa, and south-east asia; seen as "exotic" by western lens
108
the "west"
western European civilization, including their white majority settler colonies
109
white saviour
the idea that POC need “saving” from white people
110
missionary
a person or group of people sent to convert the native population
111
what is the historical context of postcolonial studies?
the British had control of over 1/4 of the world effect and changes in third world countries after colonialism on literary texts Focusing on the colonisation of Africa, Asia, and North America between the 17th to 20th century
112
who were the key contributors to postcolonial studies?
Edward Said↔a postcolonialist contributor who developed the concept of orientalism and that the East has portrayed themselves as the feminine while the West as the masculine Homi Bhaba↔a postcolonialist contributor who believed that the colonized is as much affected as the colonizer as a series of interactions Ketu H Katrak↔a postcolonialist contributor who believed that feminism = westernism = not applicable to third world countries
113
what are the limitations of postcolonialism?
the definition of politcal correctness varies many argue that colonialism isn't over (eg. indigenous populations still have not received civil rights) focuses only on western colonization in places like Africa, Asia, and America pre-colonial definition is unclear as colonialism has been present since 3000 BC post-colonial narratives are unreliable

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