Literary Theory Literature Circles
Throughout this week, you will be working in literature circles. Your roles will be analytical and evaluative in
nature. As a group, you will need to decide one group member to be responsible for each of the four theories
(one theory per member). Then, follow the steps outlined here to review your novel through the “lens” of
your theory.
STEP 1: Tell me who is doing what—
_________________________________ is covering Feminism because ____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________ is covering Marxism because ____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________ is covering Historical because ____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________ is covering Reader Response because______________
______________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2: Start Taking this folder apart (carefully).
You will find information that pertains to each theory, as well as information about the author and the time
period. As individuals, you will complete your work in your journals, and then you will come back together as
a group. You may talk about the questions with your group mates if you need help.
STEP 3: Each member will take turns presenting to the literature circle. Talk about your theory and how it
relates to the book, and go over the assignment you completed.
STEP 4: Complete the Literary Theory Chart as a group
STEP 5: Complete the Deeper Understanding of Literary Theory assignment as a group
STEP 6: Complete the Group Evaluations
STEP 7: Reassemble the folder. I will give you a label for the front. On that label, include: the title of your
novel, each group member’s name, and the class period. Turn in your folder and materials.
Feminist Theory (Feminism)
Feminist theory is a way of looking at how literature may reinforce or undermine the economic, political,
social, and psychological oppression of women. This school of theory looks at how aspects of our culture are
inherently patriarchal (male dominated).
Though a number of different approaches exist in feminist criticism, there exist some areas of commonality:
1. Women are oppressed by patriarchy economically, politically, socially, and psychologically; patriarchal
ideology is the primary means by which they are kept so
2. In every domain where patriarchy reigns, woman is other: she is marginalized, defined only by her
difference from male norms and values
3. All of western (Anglo-European) civilization is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideology, for example, in the
biblical portrayal of Eve as the origin of sin and death in the world
4. While biology determines our sex (male or female), culture determines our gender (masculine or
feminine)
5. All feminist activity, including feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its ultimate goal to change
the world by prompting gender equality
6. Gender issues play a part in every aspect of human production and experience, including the
production and experience of literature, whether we are consciously aware of these issues or not (91).
Complete the following in your journal:
1. Create a T-chart of ALL of the male and female major and minor characters in your novel.
2. Explain or create a graphic that shows the power relationships between each of the males and females
(who is the most powerful all the way down to the least powerful).
3. Go back to your T-chart. In the margin, write the title of the role each character played in the novel
(roles can be job titles, family roles, or personality roles).
4. Explain the difference between masculinity and femininity. Choose 2 masculine characters from your
novel and 2 feminine characters from your novel. Explain, using evidence from the text, how you know
they are masculine and how you know they are feminine (you can create a chart for this).
5. How do women interact with each other in your novel? Cite specific passages that demonstrate how
women form a kind of sisterhood. Explain why that happens.
6. Find 5 passages from the novel that seem either pro-feminism or anti-feminism. Copy them down,
then explain why you believe them to be so.
7. 1-page response: Was your novel written by a man or a woman? How does that fact lend itself to your
feminist theory? Had it been written by the opposite gender, how do you think the story would be
different? Give specific examples.
Marxist Theory (Marxism)
Marxism concerns itself with class differences, economic and otherwise, as well as the
implications and complications of the capitalist system. Marxism attempts to reveal the ways in
which our socioeconomic system is the ultimate source of our experience. Theorists working in
the Marxist tradition, therefore, are interested in answering the overarching question: whom
does it [the work, the effort, the policy, the road, etc.] benefit? The elite? The middle class? And
Marxists critics are also interested in how the lower or working classes are oppressed.
Marxists believe that the continuing conflict between the classes will lead to upheaval and
revolution by oppressed peoples and form the groundwork for a new order of society and
economics where capitalism is abolished. According to Marx, the revolution will be led by the
working class (others think peasants will lead the uprising) under the guidance of intellectuals.
Complete the following in your journal:
1. Create a chart that shows which characters in your novel belong to which of the 3 socioeconomic classes: the lower class, the middle class, and the upper class.
2. Explain who is ultimately benefitted in the novel through the hard work, perseverance, or
struggles of the other characters. How is this person benefitted? How is this related to the
struggle between the 3 classes?
3. Go back to your chart, and next to each character, write the title of the role that character
plays in the story (can be a job title or family role)
4. What ideas or items are valued the most in the story? What is valued the least? Create a
chart showing these ideas.
5. How do characters from the different classes interact? How do they talk to each other?
Treat each other? Explain, referencing their class status.
6. Find 5 passages in the novel that indicate something about class status (it can even be
the WAY someone says something). Write them down, then explain what they are saying
about socio-economic status.
7. 1-page response: What class does the author of the novel belong to? How did the author
grow up? If the author was of a different class status, how would the book be different.
Use specific examples.
Historical Theory
Historical theory seeks to reconnect a work with the time period in which it was produced and
identify it with the cultural and political movements of the time. Historicism assumes that every
work is a product of the historic moment that created it.
Traditional historians ask, 'What happened?' and 'What does the event tell us about history?' In
contrast, new historicists ask, 'How has the event been interpreted?' and 'What do the
interpretations tell us about the interpreters?’
To complete your role, you may need to do additional research. As me for a pass to the library if necessary.
Complete the following in your journal:
1. Create a comparison chart that shows what languages, characters and events represent the current
events of the author’s day?
2. Create a graphic that shows the events throughout the novel. Then, explain how the author’s
interpretation of those events is related to his/her culture.
3. Make a T-chart to show which of the events or items in the novel are portrayed positively, and which
are portrayed negatively.
4. How might any actions in the novel condemn or support the political leaders from the time the novel
was written?
5. How does the novel portray minority populations, ethnic diversities, etc?
6. Create a graphic that shows the hierarchy of power/government/family structure in the novel. Explain
how this may or may not have been the case when the novel was written.
7. 1-page response: Had the novel been written in a different era, how would it have been different?
Explain what would have changed, and use specific examples.
Reader Response Theory
Reader response criticism considers readers' reactions to literature as vital to interpreting the
meaning of the text. Reader-response theorists share two beliefs: 1) that the role of the reader
cannot be omitted from our understanding of literature and 2) that readers do not passively
consume the meaning presented to them by an objective literary text; rather they actively make
the meaning they find in literature.
Complete the following in your journal:
1. ½ page response: Considering your theory, how does the interaction of the reader and the novel create
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
meaning?
½ page response: How does annotating or completing a dialectal journal increase the meaning that is
created when a reader interacts with a text?
Outline the way your novel was structured. How did the chapters progress? What were the titles of
the chapters? Was the novel chunked into parts? How do these structural characteristics change the
way a reader interacts with the text? (you may create a graphic to show this information).
Create a chart of characters, events, dialogue, situations, items, etc. that you related to in the novel. In
one column, summarize that element of the story, in the second column, write about your life and how
you relate.
½ page response: In light of the other theories represented by your group members, does Reader
Response theory validate or devalue those other theories? How does Reader Response theory change
your perception of those theories? What is most important?
1- page response: What does an author have to do to be sure that everyone can have some
connections with his novel? How can you apply this to your own writing?
Literary Theory Chart
On a poster paper, re-create the following chart inserting information from the novel. Work together, using
the information you shared with each other.
Feminism
Cite the passage
from your novel
that you feel
best supports
this theory
Analyze one of
the characters
through this lens
If you look
through this
lens, what three
questions
emerge?
What is the
“glue” that holds
these theories
together? How
are they similar?
What are the
assumptions
behind each
theory? What
kind of person
would think this
way?
Marxism
Historicism
Reader Response
Deeper Understanding of Literary Theory
Answer the following questions in your journal. Write the question as well as your 4-5 sentence response to
each.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why is it important to analyze literature?
Why do you suppose literary theories exist?
Do you think most people tend to lean toward just one theory or many theories? Why?
What is the result of analyzing literature through each of these lenses?
Were the theories equally successful in analyzing the novel? Why might this be?
Group Evaluations
For your group evaluations, you will receive 4 notecards. Complete the following evaluation on each notecard for each
of the group members, including yourself. On the notecard, write only the person’s name you are evaluating and scores
in the following categories:
Working with
others
Preparedness
Focus on the task
Quality of Work
Contributions
Rate each category on a scale of 1-5.
1= Did not perform in this regard.
2= Low performance in this area.
3= Did okay, but could have done better.
4= Contributed enough to be considered an active part of the group.
5= Performed great, as an integral, vital part of the group in this area.
Each notecard should look like this:
Dave Matthews
4
4
5
3
4
Collect the notecards face-down and place in an envelope. On the envelope write the group members’ names, the title
of the novel you read, and the class period. Seal the envelope.
Lit Circle Rubric
CATEGORY
Working with
Others
4
Almost always
listens to, shares
with, and supports
the efforts of
others. Tries to
keep people
working well
together.
Brings needed
materials to class
and is always ready
to work. Always
dependable.
3
Usually listens to,
shares, with, and
supports the
efforts of others.
Does not cause
\"waves\" in the
group.
2
Often listens to,
shares with, and
supports the
efforts of others,
but sometimes is
not a good team
member.
1
Rarely listens to,
shares with, and
supports the
efforts of others.
Often is not a good
team player.
Almost always
brings needed
materials to class
and is ready to
work. Almost
always
dependable.
Often forgets
needed materials
or is rarely ready to
get to work. Is not
dependable.
Focus on the task
Consistently stays
focused on the
task and what
needs to be done.
Very self-directed.
Focuses on the
task and what
needs to be done
most of the time.
Other group
members can
count on this
person.
Quality of Work
Provides work of
the highest quality.
Provides high
quality work.
Contributions
Routinely provides
useful ideas when
participating in
discussion. A
definite leader
who contributes a
lot of effort.
Received all high
scores from fellow
group members.
Usually provides
useful ideas when
participating in
discussion. A
strong group
member who tries
hard.
Received mostly
high scores from
fellow group
members.
Almost always
brings needed
materials but
sometimes needs
to settle down and
get to work. Lacks
some
dependability.
Focuses on the
task and what
needs to be done
some of the time.
Other group
members must
sometimes nag,
prod, and remind
to keep this person
on-task.
Provides work that
occasionally needs
to be
checked/redone by
other group
members to
ensure quality.
Sometimes
provides useful
ideas. A
satisfactory group
member who does
what is required.
Received some
high scores, but
some low scores
from fellow group
members.
Received all low
scores from fellow
group members.
Preparedness
Peer Evaluations
Rarely focuses on
the task and what
needs to be done.
Lets others do the
work.
Provides work that
usually needs to be
checked/redone by
others to ensure
quality.
Rarely provides
useful ideas. May
refuse to
participate.