LRP- Lesson 2

Critique and
Critical
Approaches
Why Write a Critique
Why Write a Critique?

- widens one’s horizon about a subject matter

- develops critical thinking

- helps in responding appropriately to

diff erent situations

- gives a significant impact in personal growth

and future career path
Why Write a Critique?

- provides a great opportunity to develop:

- critical reading

- persuasive writing

- information gathering or research

- analyzing abilities

- justification skills.
What is a CRITIQUE?
What is a
critique?
A critique is a genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes
and critically evaluates a work or concept. Critiques can be
used to carefully analyze a variety of works such as:

• Creative works – novels, exhibits, film, images, poetry

• Research – monographs, journal articles, systematic

reviews, theories

• Media – news reports, feature articles

Checklist for a Critique
Checklist for a Critique
● mentioned the name of the work, the date of its
creation and the name of the creator?

● accurately summarized the work being critiqued?

● mainly focused on the critical evaluation of the work?

● systematically outlined an evaluation of each element

of the work to achieve the overall purpose?
 Checklist for a Critique
● used evidence, from the work itself as well as other sources,
to back and illustrate my assessment of elements of the work?

● formed an overall evaluation of the work, based on critical

reading?

● used a well-structured introduction, body and conclusion?

● used correct grammar, spelling and punctuation; clear

presentation; and appropriate referencing style?
Interpreting Literature:
Reading and interpreting literature nourishes us
with a sense of the complexity of life's deepest
mysteries-- love, hate, death, conflicts between
the individual and society, conflict within oneself,
that when we approach these problems we do so
with greater self-awareness and greater
tolerance for the views of others.
LITERARY CRITICISM
LITERARY CRITICISM:
• Literary criticism is an extension of the
activity of interpreting.
• The critic's specific purpose may be to make
value judgements on a work, explain his or
her interpretation of the work, or provide
other readers with relevant historical or
biographical information.
LITERARY CRITICISM:
• The critic's general purpose, in most cases, is
to enrich the reader's understanding of the
literary work.
• Critics typically engage in dialogue or debate
with other critics, using other critics’ views to
develop their points
UNLOCK THE BLOCK
Study each icon. Identi fy which approach in criti quing a literary selecti on
is being represented. Write the expected answers on your notebook.
ANSWERS
1. MORALIST
2. STRUCTURALIST
3. FEMINIST
4. MARXIST
5. READER-RESPONSE
6. HISTORICAL
 CRITICAL
APPROACHES
CRITICAL APPROACHES are
diff erent perspectives we
consider when looking at a piece
of literature.
What do we read?
Why do we read?
How do we read?
 GROUP
PRESENTATION OF
THE DIFFERENT
CRITICAL
APPROACHES
Formalist
Reader-Response KEY
Feminist FEATURES
Marxist
Historical
Cultural
Moralist
Gender EXAMPLES
Psychological
Sociological
[Link]/Formalist – studies a
text as a “self-contained object” where
generally it emphasizes the form of the work.
In this approach, it focuses on the following:
(a) form of each individual part of the text,
that includes the individual chapters and
scenes,
(b) characters,
(c) setting,
(d) tone, the point of view,
(e) diction and all other elements.
2. Moralist – judges literary works,
according to moral principles.
Essentially, it is not demanding or
‘moralizing’ in its technique, although it
is probable; nor does it unavoidably
suggest a Christian vantage point,
although it frequently does.
3. Marxist – scrutinizes the text as “an expression of
contemporary class struggle.” It is grounded on Karl
Marx’s theories, wherein it concerns on the
insinuations and snags of the capitalist system. In this
approach, literature is regarded not simply as a matter
of personal taste or expression. It unquestionably
focuses on political and social conditions. Marxist
literary critics would abide on the following inquiries: Is
the text a mirror of social values? Is it a form of
propaganda for the ruling classes? Can literature
challenge social norms?
4. Feminist – examines the text in the
context of recognizing women’s knowledge
in literary concepts, and in terms of valuing
their experiences. While reading a text, a
feminist literary critic contests traditional
standards or outlooks. It involves the
following fundamental methods: Identifying
with female characters and reevaluating
literature and the world in which literature is
read.
5. Historical – analyzes literary text by
using historical events and evidences, that
include information about the author’s life,
historical and social circumstances. This
approach also “seeks to understand a
literary work by investigating the social,
cultural, and intellectual context that
produced it—a context that necessarily
includes the artist’s biography and milieu.
6. Reader-response – Reader-response criticism
revolves around the phenomena ‘Respond to Reading’.
The theory identifies the reader as a significant and
active agent who is responsible to impart the real
meaning of the text by interpreting it.
The modern school of thought argues on the existing
perception of the literature. According to it, literature is
like a performing art that enables reader creates his
own text-related unique performance.”
SHORT QUIZ
Study each item. Identify which literary approach is being
used. Write the expected answer on a separate sheet.
_____1. The author analyzes the reading selection by
identifying some factual events and evidences.
_____2. Authors analyze the different standpoints that women
try to suggest, to uplift everyone’s spirit.
_____3. Writers have forestalled to receive varied comments
for every literary piece.
_____4. It scrutinizes both political and social conditions of the
literary work.
_____5. It gives more value to study the literary piece’s ethical
concerns.
_____6. The form of the work is primarily being studied to
understand the selection better.
_____7. This examines how sexual identity influences the
creation and reception of literary works.
_____8. A critical approach that helps readers understand the
motivations of the writer as well as the characters.
_____9. It is an approach that finds meaning about society,
love, affair, family, nature, and social context in a literary text.
_____10. This form of criticism examines how different
religions, ethnicities, class identifications, political beliefs, and
views affect the ways in which texts are created and
interpreted.