Introduction to Literary Theory,
Feminist and Gender Criticism
“The Story of an Hour” and “The
English Canon”
What do Literary Critics do?
• Literary critics make observations about and
connections between works of literature.
• A literary critic might…
– Explain how a certain literary effect is achieved
using examples from a work of literature.
– Explore how a work (or an author, or a group of
authors) treats a theme.
– Explore a work in the context of another academic
discipline.
What do Literary critics not do?
• Most literary critics are not interested in making
judgments about whether a work of literature is
“well written” or “poorly written.” If a literary
critic is writing about a work, he or she most
likely believes that there is something interesting
and worthwhile to say about it.
• Most literary critics are not interested in making
moral judgments about a work of literature. They
are usually not concerned about whether a book
is morally “bad” or “good,” and they don’t write
about the work in terms of “agreeing” or
“disagreeing” with it.
What is “Critical Theory”?
• A Critical Theory is like a set of “lenses” that literary
critics put on in order to bring certain elements of
the work into focus. As is true with real lenses, every
critical "lens" will make the work "look" a little bit
different.
• Every critical theory has a set of assumptions about
what is most important to look at in a work of
literature. By "trying on" these assumptions for
yourself, you can broaden your appreciation for the
work, and for the critical theory or strategy.
Our First Theory: Gender Studies and
Feminist Criticism
• Many Gender Critics see a difference between
gender (which is socially constructed) and sex
(which is biological).
• This means that ideas about "typically"
masculine or feminine traits and behaviors are
products of culture and social conditioning.
• Gender Critics are interested in how works of
literature either support or undermine the
"standards" of masculine/feminine behavior and
identity held by the culture in which they were
produced.
A (Not So) Brief Note on the "Literary
Canon"
• Definition of “Canon:” Originally, the term
"canon" applied to the books of the Bible
that were accepted as "divinely inspired."
(The word "canon" comes from a Greek
word meaning "rule" or "measure.")
Therefore, the group of books that was
accepted at any given time was referred to
as the "canon of scripture," and books
outside of that canon were referred to as
"non-canonical."
A (Not So) Brief Note on the "Literary
Canon“ (cont.)
The idea of the "Literary Canon" says that over time,
teachers, academics, writers, and public opinion have,
consciously or unconsciously, chosen works that are
considered "worthy" of study. This also means that
there must be other works that are not "worthy" of
study. (Please note that there was never an actual list
of works in the literary canon, and works have risen and
fallen in status over time.)
For much of history, the "literary canon" in Western
literature (used broadly to mean literature of places
that have their foundation in Greek and Latin cultures…
meaning Europe and most of the Americas postColumbus) has been written by white men.
Now, back to Feminist and Gender
Criticism
• Feminist Critics and Gender Critics have many interests in
common, but Feminist Critics are more likely to be interested
in literary representations of women, and in bringing attention
to works by women that have historically been overlooked,
while gender critics are interested in the way that both the
male and female genders are presented.
• Feminist Critics believe that for much of history, the "literary
canon" and the field of literary criticism have both been
dominated by men, and the seek to expose the effects of this
patriarchal mindset.
• By looking at the ways that women's concerns and women's
writing has been marginalized, they seek to address the
imbalance that has traditionally persisted in favor of men's
writing and men's concerns.
Questions for "The English Canon"
• Refer to "The English Canon" by Adrienne Su on p. 724.
• What is the concern that the speaker of this poem is
expressing? Support your ideas with lines from the text.
• How does this poem speak to some of the ideas in
Feminist and Gender Criticism that we have been talking
about? What do you think a Feminist or Gender Critic
would say about this poem?
• (Remember, to put it very simply, Gender Critics are
interested in culturally produced ideas about what is
"masculine" and "feminine." Feminist Critics are
interested in how living in a society and reading a
literature dominated by men affects women, and by
extension, society as a whole.)
Questions for “Story of an Hour” p.
106
• Using evidence from the text, describe the
Mallard marriage.
• What is the irony of this story?
• Do you think that this story is critical of
marriage as an institution? Why or why
not?
• What can the critical lens of feminist/gender
criticism help us to make of this story? (How
does it either support or undermine gender
roles? In what ways does it comment on
women’s issues?)
In Class Writing #4
• Earlier in the semester, we read some “short shorts” the
presented a “complete” story in a very compressed space.
• For this in class writing, I would like to you write a “short
short” (no more than 500 words) of your own that deals
with one of the themes we have discussed this week. (I
will allow you to take it home and polish it.)
• If you’re having a hard time getting started…
– Start by making a list of “acceptable,” “proper”
masculine/feminine behaviors.
– What are the consequences, good and bad, for a character
who either accepts or challenges these behaviors and
expectations?