Literary Theories Definition and Its Function: Group 5

Literary Theories Definition
and its Function

GROUP 5
Literary Theory
 Literary theory provides a wide range of viewpoints for

comprehending how historical context affects
interpretation as well as the significance of linguistic and
subconscious textual components. Literary theorists
explore the significance of formal components in literary
structure as they trace the development of the many genres
narrative, dramatic, and lyric as well as the more modern
emergence of the novel and the short story.
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Literature is developed by the author

Formulates the relationship between author and
work
Develops the significance of race, class and gender
for literature.
Standpoint of the biography of the author and
analysis of their thematic presence with texts.
Give the diverse angle in reading of literature.
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 The category of concepts and strategies we employ in the actual

reading of literature is referred to as “literary theory”. The meaning
of a literary work is not what we mean when we say “literary
theory”, but rather the ideas the explain what literature can mean. A
description of the fundamental ideas or, one would even say, the
components which we try to comprehend literature is known literary
theory. Although every literary interpretation has a theoretical
foundation, it can be used to support a variety of critical activities.
Literary theory looks at the importance of race, class, and gender for
literary research and establishes the relationship between author and
work. Both from the perspective of the author’s biography and a
study of their thematic presence in literature.
Literary Theories
1. Practical criticism: This study of literature invites the readers to study the text
without considering any external context, such as the author, the date and location
of writing, or any other descriptors that may enlighten the reader.
2. Cultural studies: Cultural studies is a text within the perspective of its socio-
cultural setting, in direct contrast to practical criticism. According to cultural
critics, a text should be completely interpreted in the context of its culture.
3. Formalism and new criticism: Formalism refers to critical approaches that
analyze, interpret, or evaluate the inherent features of a text. These features
include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter and
tropes. New Criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated
American literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. It
emphasized close reading, particularly of poetry, to discover how a work of
literature functioned as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object.
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4. Traditional literary criticism

Within the traditional literary theory, the critic evaluates the biographical information
of the author in relation to text. They also consider patterns within the author’s works
to identify style, structure, or tone for example.
5. New historian and cultural materialism
They’re engaged in the process of renewing our images of the past, of revisiting the
past.
6. Reference and Further Reading
Further reading provide references to sources that the author has deemed useful to a
reader seeking additional information or context about the research problem. They
are items that are not essential to understanding the overall study or were cited as a
source the author or quoted from when writing the paper.
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7. Marxist theory
This style of literary theory was developed by socialist philosopher Karl Marx in conjunction
with Marxism, his political and sociological worldview. Literature is examined in accordance
with class dynamics and socialist principle according to Marxist theory.
8. Post-modernism
Post-modernist literary criticism is to reflect the complicated and uneven experience of
twentieth-century living, arose around the middle of the century. Although postmodernism has
numerous conflicting definitions, it is most frequently regarded as abandoning modernist
notions of a cohesive narrative.
9. Post structuralism
Post-structuralism literary theory, reject notions of formal and structural cohesiveness, they
questioned any presumptions of “universal truths,” seeing them as dependent on the social
context in which they were formed. Roland Barthes, the founder of semiotics study of sign and
symbols in art, is one of the authors who contributed to the development of post-structuralism
theory.
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10. Deconstruction
Proposed by Jacques Derrida, Deconstructionist pick apart text’s ideas or arguments, looking
for contradiction that render any singular reading of a text impossible.
11. Postcolonial theory
Postcolonial theory looks into the consequences of colonialism in critical theory, challenging
the predominance of Western thought in literature. Orientalism by Edward Said is a key work
in postcolonial theory.
12. Feminist criticism
Literary critics started looking to gender studies for new forms of literary criticism as the
feminism movement gained momentum in the middle of the 20 th century. Other notable
feminist critics include Elaine Showalter and Hélène Cixous. Virginia Woolf was one of the
first to advocate for feminist criticism in her seminal essay "A Room of One's Own."
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13. Queer theory

Specifically through the lenses of sexual orientation and gender identity, queer theory followed
feminist theory in further examining gender roles in literary theory.
14. Critical race theory
During the American civil rights movement, critical race theory was developed. Its main focus
is on using racial analysis to examine texts in the legal system, criminal justice system, and
cultural materials. Derrick Bell and Kimberlé Crenshaw are two of the most vocal opponents
of CRT.
15. Critical disability theory
is one of the many intersectional areas of critical study that is now emerging. Racism and
ableism, according to critical disability theorists, are intertwined, and they investigate ableist
societal institutions.
GROUP 5
Diana Rose Solomon

Pamela Deloso
Bhea Bianca Sultan
Kye Cel Castro
John Reyle Obinque
Aldrich Ampuan

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Literary Theories Definition

and its Function

 Literary theory provides a wide range of viewpoints for

Literature is developed by the author

 The category of concepts and strategies we employ in the actual

4. Traditional literary criticism

13. Queer theory

Diana Rose Solomon

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