Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide

produced in this study guide. The source material also uses the terms “homosexual,” “homophobia,” and “homoerotic”; these terms are reproduced in this guide only when referring to the source text or discussing applicable theory.

Summary

Chapter 1 explains the structure of the textbook. Lois Tyson acknowledges that critical theory can seem complex and overly theoretical. She asserts that the textbook will provide a “roadmap” to clarify understandings of this theoretical domain.

Chapter 2 covers psychoanalytic criticism. Psychoanalysis is a theory developed by Sigmund Freud to explain human dynamics and behavior. Psychoanalysis asserts that human behavior is shaped by unconscious desires. The chapter briefly covers elements of traditional psychoanalysis, including the origins of the unconscious, defenses, anxiety and core issues, dreams and dream symbols, and the importance of death and sex to psychoanalytic theory. It then discusses Lacanian psychoanalysis and its concepts of the imaginary order, symbolic order, and petit objet a. Finally, it discusses how psychoanalytic concepts can be applied to literary analysis to better understand human dynamics as portrayed in literary works.

Chapter 3 covers Marxist criticism. Marxism is a theory of political economy developed by Karl Marx that emphasizes class conflict under capitalism and promotes a more egalitarian economic system. The chapter covers the fundamental premises of Marxism, how capitalist notions of commodification affect human behavior and family dynamics, and how capitalist ideology is promoted (or undermined) through cultural products, including literature. Finally, it discusses how Marxist theory can be applied to literary works to better understand the portrayal of class dynamics and how they reproduce capitalist ideologies.

Chapter 4 covers feminist criticism. Feminism is an ideology that advocates for gender equality and critiques the patriarchy. The chapter convers traditional gender roles, methods that feminists have proposed for “getting beyond patriarchy,” French feminism, multicultural feminism, historical waves of feminism, and contributions of gender theory to feminist theory. Finally, it discusses how feminist theory can be applied to literary works to better understand how works reproduce or undermine patriarchal ideology. It also describes how feminists draw attention to the value of works by women writers.

Chapter 5 covers new criticism. New criticism is a mode of literary analysis that emphasizes that literary works are best understood through close reading with reference only to the text itself, rather than outside information like the author’s biography. The chapter covers the core new critical concepts of organic unity and how formal literary elements contribute to the essential themes of a work. It presents new critical analyses of the poem “there is a girl inside” by Lucille Clifton and The Great Gatsby to illustrate how this method of analysis is applied.

Chapter 6 covers reader-response criticism. Reader-response criticism is a mode of literary analysis that focuses on how the reader creates meaning from a text and how the text guides that meaning. The chapter covers a variety of different reader-response methods, including subjective, psychological, social, and transactional. It also provides an example of how affective stylistics, a “slow-motion” method of close reading, contributes to reader-response theory.

Chapter 7 covers structuralism. Structuralism is a theory that analyzes the foundational structures that underpin human activity, including language and literature. The chapter covers structural linguistics, structural anthropology, and semiotics. It then presents many examples of how structural criticism can be used to analyze literature, including Northrop Frye’s theory of mythoi and structural narratology.

Chapter 8 covers deconstructivism. Deconstructivism is a theory that asserts that we fundamentally understand the world through language and that language is a vehicle for ideology. The chapter covers how this principle can be applied to understanding the world and human identity. It then models a deconstructive analysis of the poem “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost to illustrate how works both promote an ideology and illustrate the limits of that ideology, usually through its central theme.

Chapter 9 covers new historical and cultural criticism. New historicism is a mode of historical inquiry that focuses on how historical texts reflect the dominant discourses of their time. It describes how new historical critics analyze literary works as they relate to the historical contexts in which they were created or received. The chapter then describes how cultural criticism applies a similar methodology to mass-market cultural products like films and video games.

Chapter 10 covers lesbian, gay, and queer criticism. It begins with a description of the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people throughout history and in literature. It then covers similar features of lesbian, gay, and queer literary criticism, including the focus on homosocial bonding, homoerotic imagery, same-sex “doubles,” and transgressive sexuality.

Chapter 11 covers African American criticism. It begins with a description of “racial issues” and African American literary history. It then covers critical race theory with a focus on white privilege, the problem with liberalism, and racial realism. Finally, it illustrates how African American criticism can be applied to understand fundamental elements of African American literary works, representations of Black characters, and white supremacy in canonical texts.

Chapter 12 covers postcolonial criticism. It begins with a description of colonialist ideology, postcolonial identity, and foundational postcolonial debates. It then describes how globalization has changed understandings of colonialism’s legacy in the present day, with reference to global tourism and global conservationist efforts. Finally, it illustrates how the theory can be applied to literary works to understand how works present cultural difference and promote or undermine colonial ideology.

Chapter 13 covers ecocriticism. It begins with a description of “deep ecology.” It then analyzes different modes of ecological study, including eco-Marxism and forms of ecofeminism. It describes in detail the relationship between postcolonial ecocriticism and movements for environmental justice, such as Indigenous movements to defend water sources from resource extraction and contamination. Finally, it illustrates how the theory can be applied to literary works to reveal how the work centers humans over nature (or vice versa).

Chapter 14 summarizes the main questions that each featured critical theory asks about literary works.