British Literature/Br. Byrd
Academic Interpretive Lenses
*Keep in mind, you do not have to agree with any of the following interpretive theories. *Distinguish between
what the author intends (as far as we can know) and what the reader “sees” in the text.
Psychoanalytic
--Inspired by the psychological theories of Freud and Jung, psychoanalytic literary
theory is concerned with investigating the underlying psychology of literary text. The
following concepts are explored: Oedipal complex, libido, id, ego, superego,
subconscious, repression, resistance, symbols, motifs, character types, archetypes, myth
Marxist
Emphasizes the cultural context of a given text with the typical Marxist emphasis on
material economic reality and the cultural superstructure that is built upon it. Key
terms: class, proletariat, means of production, bourgeoisie, imperialism, dialectical
materialism. Literature as a commodity to consume.
New Historicism
Theory related to Marxist Theory. N.H. emphasizes the role literature plays as a product
of a society’s consciousness. Key terms: ideology, encoded ideology, dominant class,
oppressed ideological subject.
Post-Colonial
Related to New Historicism, Post-Colonial critique examines the way language was and
is used to rationalize the domination or destruction of one culture by another. It
explores the use of language as religious, national, and racist propaganda.
Feminist
Related to New Historicism, feminist critique often emphasizes the oppression of the
female voice and the dominance of the male voice. It is interested in how language is
used by culture to oppress, silence, or marginalize women, and used by women to seek
liberation. Key terms: Patriarchy, marginalization, inclusive language. More simply, it
examines the role of and treatment of women in literature.
Black Criticism
Related to New Historicism, explores the use of language to oppress people of African
race (as in the United States). How are black people portrayed? Who is speaking? Where
is the black voice?
Catholic
(Religious)
Religious critique examines the moral, ethical, and religious elements or attitude of a
story, character, or author. Does a work promote or critique religious belief? What are
some religious assumptions or biases of a text? etc.
Reader
Response
R.R. is concerned with the way in which readers engage a text to create meaning. There
is no objective encounter with a text, since each person comes to literature from
particular contexts and with particular beliefs and concerns. So what lens do you read
with? Why does this text (the words, the structure, the subject matter) prompt a
particular response? (The other lenses often play a role in this analysis.)
Post-Modern
Seeks to breakdown or expose the absurdity of objective “truth”. There is no one great
unifying truth, but angles, agendas, and interpretations. What does your meaning mean?
Structuralist
The part of structuralism that we’re concerned with is related to examining how texts
are composed by their authors. Areas of concern include: genre, archetypes, themes,
irony/satire, comedy, romance, tragedy, rhetoric. So what is it? And how does it work?
(There is much more to structuralism, but let’s save that for college.)
*Taken from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/01/
British Literature/Br. Byrd
Academic Interpretive Lenses
*Keep in mind, you do not have to agree with any of the following interpretive theories. *Distinguish between
what the author intends (as far as we can know) and what the reader “sees” in the text.
Psychoanalytic
What does the creature represent?
Why does Victor create him, then reject him?
What myths are echoed in this story? (Prometheus’s Fire, Pandora’s Box)
How does this story serve as a moral tale?
What motivates the characters?
What might the story reveal about the author’s psyche?
Marxist
What economic classes are represented in this story?
What’s the relationship between wealthy characters and working-class or poor
characters?
Does this text uphold imperialism, capitalism? The status quo, or does it argue for social
change?
What role does money play in the story?
What role did money play in creating and propagating this story?
What social class did Mary Shelley belong to?
New
Historicism
What social ideals, beliefs, biases does this text support or reject?
What does this story, as a social product, say about British society?
Post-Colonial
How might this text reflect or reject British dominance over other cultures? How might
the creature represent the peoples of Britain’s colonies?
Feminist
Who are the female characters in this story?
Do the female characters have voice and power of agency or are they pawns?
What particular sufferings on the part of women are depicted or ignored?
What does this text say about Mary Shelley--daughter of famed activist Mary
Wollstonecraft--as a female author?
How do men treat the women of this story?
Black Criticism
Are there any representations of black characters in this story? Why/why not?
Are there any instances of racism or cultural bias present in the story?
How might the creature represent the struggles of black people in white dominated
societies?
Catholic
(Religious)
What are the references to religious and philosophical ideas in this story?
Which characters are religious? And how are they depicted?
Does Frankenstein promote or critique religious belief?
Are the characters in the story moral/ethical? And what does that mean for the reader?
Reader
Response
What is your response to Frankenstein and why?
What did the story make you think of?
What did it make you feel?
Did it inspire you to any action?
Post-Modern
What assumptions does Mary Shelley make about her readers?
What does Shelley want us to see vs. what do we see?
Structuralist
What is genre? What are the themes? What is the structure? ...of Frankenstein
*Taken from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/01/