Download Understanding Literary Theory: A Deep Dive into Formalism (New Criticism) and more Study notes Literature in PDF only on Docsity! FORMALISM (also known as NEW CRITICISM) A Basic Approach to Reading and Understanding Literature Armstrong Atlantic State University Formalist theory has dominated the American literary scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has retained its great influence in many academic quarters. Its practitioners advocate methodical and systematic readings of texts. The major premises of New Criticism include: "art for art's sake," "content = form," and "texts exist in and for themselves." These premises lead to the development of reading strategies that isolate and objectify the overt structures of texts as well as authorial techniques and language usage. With these isolated and objective readings, New Criticism aims to classify, categorize, and catalog works according to their formal attributes. Along the way, New Criticism wants to pull out and discuss any universal truths that literary works might hold concerning the human condition. These truths are considered by New Critics to be static, enduring, and applicable to all humanity. Leading new critics include I.A. Richards, Cleanth Brooks, Northrop Frye, John Crowe Ransom, T.S. Eliot, and Roman Jacobsen. These thinkers consider literature to be a language game in which communication becomes semi-transparent. They reject Impressionism, moral tones, and philological studies, and believe that written works should work mostly on the intellect. The rise of New Criticism coincides with that of modern literature, probably because of the popularity of the "art for art's sake" maxim. Formalists value poetry rich in ambiguity, irony, and intention, and want to make literary criticism a science. This last projection introduces the concept of expert readers into interpretive theory. Current theorists tend to criticize Formalism for this and other symptoms of narrow-mindedness; still, they cannot deny that New Criticism has left a lasting impression on American literary scholarship. Its terminology continues as the basis for most literary education in the United States, and other critical approaches to reading and critiquing literature depend upon readers’ familiarity with these terms to articulate their findings. Glossary of major Formalist literary terms Character—creation and representation of fictional persons and entities antagonist—the main villain antihero—a central sympathetic character with significant personal flaws dynamic—changing, growing, active flat—not well-developed protagonist—the main character with whom the audience is expected to sympathize round—well-developed static—not growing or changing, an inactive personality symbolic—caricature that is representative of certain kinds of people Figures of speech—various expressive devices used in vivid writing allegory—parallel story with underlying moral or message analogy—extended comparison of things or events with other things and events irony—paradoxical events, ideas, or attitudes that are played off against each other sarcasm—making serious fun of things, ideas, people, or events satire—synthesis of heavily developed ironies and sarcasms metaphor—brief or extended comparison of something with something else metonymy—using the story of a small, localized event to illustrate a larger social concern; comparing a part with the whole (as in "he gave up the sword" to indicate leaving a life of warfare) personification—comparing inanimate things to people simile—something or someone is "as a" something else symbolism—using inanimate or imagined things to stand for real situations intangible—imaginary or "mental" symbols tangible—physical or "actual" symbols synecdoche—using the narrative of a large human issue to illustrate a smaller, more particular concern; comparing a whole with one or more of its parts (as in saying "the smiling year" to indicate spring) Imagery—specific details used to describe characters, situations, things, ideas, or events hearing—images that make you hear sounds in your mind seeing—images that draw mental pictures
