For this essay, your goal is to apply critical reading strategies to your reading and interpretation of your chosen novel. We have been using primarily one type of strategy, formalism, so far this semester to analyze the elements of literary form and how they create thematic meaning for readers. You may continue doing that same type of analysis for this essay, but you should do so with the understanding that a variety of other techniques exist in addition to formalism. You have done some reading on these theories in your textbook, and there are pages in Canvas focused on eight categories (Formalist, Biographical, Psychological, Historical, Gender, Mythological/Archetypal, Reader-Response, Deconstructionist), but other categories exist.
You will also integrate research into this essay. That research should include some scholarly criticism that has been done on your novel (if it’s available) as well as criticism of other works that you could apply to your interpretation of the text. Our school library and our Canvas course shell contain useful resources, and if you find good sources to share, I will add those to Canvas as well. Much of what is there has come from previous students engaged in this project. For additional resources, try searching the Sierra library databases with the phrase “literature AND criticism AND ____________.” In the blank space, add in whatever term, concept, or text feature you’re looking for. Play with different search phrases until you find something useful.
This exercise will expand your critical thinking skills in ways you may not immediately recognize, even if you never plan on taking another English class. The strategies for reading come from our desire to organize and systematize ways of gaining meaning from literature and to some degree for understanding our experiences as human beings. But they are also helpful in understanding how each reader applies his or her own sets of values to any text, from multiple perspectives. Almost every discipline has a system for organizing its particular knowledge, so it might be helpful to think of your own major and how it organizes its principles, ideas, theories, and so forth. I find it helpful to understand this myself since I feel that I suffer from information overload most of the time, so if I can compartmentalize all that information, I can deal with it.
The formal stuff:
Your research essay must be at least 3000 words (not counting works cited) and include a minimum of 5 pieces of research (This can include the text itself, and must make use of at least 2 in-depth critical analysis or reviews, such as articles from academic journals). Before turning to other sources about your novel, try to get a solid sense of your own concerns about the book and write from your experience with the primary text. Explore interpretive questions related to the critical reading strategy you’re most interested in. Then consult sources for backup and to explore your own ideas in more depth.
Your essay must have a Works Cited page (or Works Consulted page) and follow MLA 9 format. A Works Consulted page indicates what you’ve cited as well as readings you’ve done for the assignment but did not include in your essay (such effort scores Karma points, at the very least, and indicates a serious commitment to the project). This assignment is not as difficult as it may sound, since most of you have written essays already over 1100 words on shorter works in this class, and have already applied various critical reading strategies including formalist, cultural, historical, feminist, and so forth to your analyses.
Important Note:
Even though this handout talks about your responses to the novel, which are individually yours, you will not use first person (no “I”) at all in this essay. Many of the brainstorming questions you will find ask what you think, and you will write about that to be sure, but you will do so without saying “I think” or “When I read . . .” statements. Even reader-response criticism, which in its simplest form seems to rely on the individual reader’s reactions, is actually meant to account for more than one reader’s response. If you need help with turning first-person responses into third-person argument claims, ask me or use any of our tutoring services for help on that.
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Works cited page needed also needs a creative title
Here are some resources that cover multiple theories. Within these, search for aspects about a particular literary theory in which you are interested:
Overview Resources:
Dino Felluga’s Introduction to Literary TheoryLinks to an external site.
Literary TheoryLinks to an external site.
Theory Timeline
Glossary of Critical and Theoretical Terms
Specific Theory Pages in Canvas:
Psychological Strategies
Gender and Feminist Strategies
Archetypal and Mythological Strategies
Reader-Response Strategies
Historical, Cultural, Marxist Strategies
Formalist (New Criticism) Strategies
Biographical Strategies
Deconstruction Strategies
Overview / Recommended books in our library:
Critical theory today : a user-friendly guideLinks to an external site. / Lois Tyson
use one or more of these styles of writing
