Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Brief Contents
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: An Introduction, Theoretically
	Textual Tours
	Checking Some Baggage
		“Is There One Correct Interpretation of a Literary Work?"
		“So, Are All Opinions About Literature Equally Valid?"
	Anything to Declare?
		Theory Enables Practice
		You Already Have a Theoretical Stance
		This is an Introduction
		Here’s the Plan
	Works Cited and Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 2: Critical Worlds: A Selective Tour
	Brendan Gill, from “Here at The New Yorker"
	New Criticism
	Reader-Response Criticism
	Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism
	Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies
	Psychological Criticism
	Political Criticism
	Other Approaches
	Works Cited and Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 3: Unifying the Work: New Criticism
	The Purpose of New Criticism
		Basic Principles Reflected
		Archibald MacLeish, “Ars Poetica
		Radicals in Tweed Jackets
	How to Do New Criticism
		Film and Other Genres
	The Writing Process: A Sample Essay
		Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Mother"
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	Practicing New Criticism
		Stephen Shu-ning Liu, “My Father’s Martial Art"
		Ben Jonson, “On My First Son"
		The Parable of the Prodigal Son
	Useful Terms for New Criticism
	Checklist for New Criticism
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 4: Creating the Text: Reader-Response Criticism
	The Purpose of Reader-Response Criticism
		New Criticism as the Old Criticism
		The Reader Emerges
	How to Do Reader-Response Criticism
		Preparing to Respond
		Sandra Cisneros, “Love Poem #1"
		Making Sense
		Subjective Response
		Receptive Response
	The Writing Process: A Sample Essay
		Preparing to Respond
		Ernest Hemingway, “A Very Short Story
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	Practicing Reader-Response Criticism
		Michael Drayton, “Since There’s No Help"
		Judith Minty, “Killing the Bear"
		Tom Wayman, “Did I Miss Anything"
		A. Williams “deep as space"
	Useful Terms for Reader-Response Criticism
	Checklist for Reader-Response Criticism
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 5: Opening Up the Text: Structuralism and Deconstruction
	The Purposes of Structuralism and Deconstruction
		Structuralism and Semiotics
		Poststructuralism and Deconstruction
	How to Do Structuralism and Deconstruction
		William Butler Yeats, “Sailing to Byzantium"
	The Writing Process: A Sample Essay
		Amy Clampitt, “Discovery"
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	Practicing Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism
		“Cut through the anxiety, the unknown,  the hassle. . . ."
		William Blake, “London"
		Linda Pastan, “Ethics"
		John Donne, “Death Be Not Proud"
	Useful Terms for Deconstruction
	Checklist for Deconstruction
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 6: Connecting the Text: Historical and New Historical Criticism
	The Purposes of Historical and New Historical Criticism
		Biographical and Historical Criticism
		John Milton, “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent"
		Cultural Studies
		New Historicism
		History as Text
		Marxist Criticism
		Postcolonial and Ethnic Studies
	How to Do Biographical and Historical Criticism
	The Writing Process: Sample Essays
		John Cheever, “Reunion"
	A Biographical Essay
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	A New Historical Essay
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	Practicing Historical Criticism
	Useful Terms for Historical, Cultural, and Postcolonial Criticism
	Checklist for Historical Criticism
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
	Historical Research
	New Historical Research
	Biographical Research
Chapter 7: Minding the Work: Psychological Criticism
	The Purpose of Psychological Criticism
	How to Do Psychological Criticism
		William Wordsworth, “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal"
	The Writing Process: A Sample Essay
		William Shakespeare, Hamlet 4.4.32–66
		Preparing to Write
		Shaping
		Drafting
	Practicing Psychological Criticism
		Emily Dickinson, “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass"
		Marianne Moore, “O to Be a Dragon"
		Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach"
		Your Dream Here
	Useful Terms for Psychological Criticism
	Checklist for Psychological Criticism
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
Chapter 8: Gendering the Text: Feminist Criticism, Postfeminism, and Queer Theory
	How to Do Feminist Criticism, Postfeminism, and Queer Theory
		Mary Astell, from A Serious Proposal
	The Writing Process: A Sample Essay
		Samuel Johnson, “To Miss ______ On Her Playing Upon the Harpsichord. . . "
		Preparing to Respond
		Shaping
		Drafting
		Revision: Gay and Lesbian Criticism
	Practicing Feminist, Postfeminist, and Queer Theory Criticism
		William Shakespeare, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?"
		Emily Dickinson, “My Life had stood–a Loaded Gun"
		Tobias Wolff, “Say Yes"
	Gender in the Movies
	Useful Terms for Political Criticism
	Checklist for Political Criticism
	Works Cited
	Recommended Further Reading
Appendix 1
	John Donne, “The Canonization"
Appendix 2
	A Note on How Theories Relate
Text Credits
Index
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