1. Introduction

 

Briefly, your exam should do two things:

 

(1) Research and define a literary theory (reader-response, deconstruction, new criticism, and so on). What is it? Who developed it? How is it applied? Be careful here because you will be gleaning information from secondary sources, and this makes plagiarism a real threat, and any person caught plagiarizing will fail. You should use Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation Style (two elements: in-text citations + works cited page). You should use enough sources to fully prepare yourself to write this essay; in essence, you need to become an expert on the literary theory you have chosen. Rhetorically, you need to use enough sources so that you can effectively explain to readers the primary tenets of the theory.

 

(2) Apply literary theory to a story of your choosing. Make sure your application of the literary theory is (1) appropriate, that is, it applies the theory to the story correctly, and (2) purposeful. The point of using a literary theory is to offer readers a lens, or paradigm, from which to interpret and analyze.

 

You may use *any* story from the Gwynn Anthology, “Fiction: A Pocket Anthology,” and the essay should be 8-12 pp, typed, double-spaced, #12 font, and 1” margins all around.

 

Plan your time wisely. This is not an assignment that can be completed the evening prior to the due date. The Success Center will be a valuable resource for you. They can help you with MLA documentation style, and help you shape and form your essay and argument.

 

 

1. Part 1: Define Literary Theory

 

This part of your exam should be 2-4 pages.

 

First of all, what is literary criticism / literary theory? From Wikipedia:

 

Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals. Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists.

 

To make your task easier, I am going to supply you with a list of key Literary Theories for you to choose from:

 

1. New Criticism;
2. Structuralism / Post-Structuralism;
3. Reader-Response Criticism;
4. Feminist and Gender Criticism (if you research this, make sure you distinguish between Feminist philosophy and Feminist literary criticism; you do not want to use Feminist philosophy);
5. Historical Criticism;
6. Psychological Criticism;
7. Marxist Criticism;
8. Archetypal Criticism.

 

Choose (1) of these theories, research it both online and using SWIC’s library research databases (if you are trying to connect to the research databases from off-campus, you will need to call the library, or visit the circulation desk, to get the username and password to access information from off-campus).