What is Literary Criticism?

Let's get this straight: People write books about books.

Literary Critics (usually English professors) write arguments about books.

These arguments are published in academic journals. Journals are magazines for other academics.

These critics propose a new or interesting way of looking at a work of literature.

These articles argue for a particular interpretation of a novel.

This relies upon the following sequence:

Untitled Slide

• Author
• Text/Novel/Short Story/Poem
• Reader
• Interpretation
• Meaning

The critic (and all arguments about books) come between the interpretation and meaning stages.

These critics try to get readers to think about the book the same way they do.

Other critics will make different arguments about the interpretation and meaning of a literary work.

This is essentially the same thing you are trying to do with your CRP.

You are trying to argue to get the reader (me) to think about the book in the same way you do.

Primary Source: The book Jane Eyre
Secondary Source: Any articles, essays, reviews that have written about Jane Eyre.

What you need to remember

• Consider yourself an expert of whatever topic you choose
• Your #1 source is Jane Eyre
• Your 3 outside sources are helping you argue your point; thus, you should always quote from the book FIRST.
• Use the other sources as your helpers: you still need to explain what they are saying and analyze how it works for your argument.