Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide

Each of the literary theories analyzes
one aspect of literature.

Here are guiding questions you can use
as you apply each of the theories.
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Reader Response Criticism
 What is it about your background, beliefs, or
experiences that affects how you interpret a
text?

Is there something about the text that makes
it easier or harder to understand? For
example, is a short story easier for you to
understand than a poem?

Is there something about the reading situation
that affects your ability to understand the
text? For example, do you prefer reading at
home to reading at school?
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Cultural Criticism
 What elements of culture are present in the
text?

How are different cultures within the text
interacting with each other?
◦ Is one culture more dominant / powerful?
◦ Is one culture marginalized?
◦ Are any characters outsiders to the main culture
presented in the text?

How can an understanding of the culture
depicted in the text assist in understanding
characters’ motivations or actions?
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Feminist Criticism
 How are women portrayed in the text?

How are men portrayed in the text?

Who has the power – the man or the woman?

Are the women stereotypical (obedient or
submissive to the men)?

Are the women atypical (strong and
independent)?

Is there a patriarchal or a matriarchal society?
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Marxist Criticism
 Who has the power in the text?

Are the characters with the power also
the characters with the wealth?

How is the story and/or the character
development controlled by characters’
desires to gain wealth and power?

How can the conflicts in the text be
understood as a struggle between the
haves and the have-nots?
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Historical Criticism
 How is the text a reflection of the time
period in which it was written?

Examples:
◦ In William Shakespeare’s Othello, how does
the depiction of Othello, a Moor, reflect
opinions or stereotypes about Moors that
existed in the 1600s?
◦ In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, how does the
author use the Salem witch trials to make a
commentary about McCarthyism in the
1950s?
Literary / Critical Theories:
A How To Guide
Archetypal Criticism

Which universal characters exist in the text?
◦ Examples: the villain, the trickster, the tragic hero, the
jealous husband, the innocent, the temptress, the pawn.

What universal story pattern is present in the text?
◦ Examples: the Cinderella story, the Pygmalion myth, the
journey to the underworld, the immigrant experience.

What universal symbols are present in the text?
◦ Examples: water, sun, the desert.

How does being able to recognize these archetypes help
you to understand the story or characters’ motivations?