Address One Of The Following Reflection Questions At School
Address One Of The Following Reflection Questionswhat School Of Thoug
Address one of the following reflection questions: What school of thought or schools of thought do you align with? Why? Choose one school of thought and explain its philosophical origin (how it started, why, and where). Why should you care about studying literary theory? Instructions: Follow this prompt and create a one page (250 words) reflection of your experience with my Schools of Thought lecture and literary terms ebook Do not cite secondary sources or copy material from the Internet Use MLA parenthetical citation format for quotes, but do not create a Works Cited page.
Paper For Above instruction
The exploration of literary theory offers a profound understanding of the diverse frameworks through which literature can be interpreted. After engaging with the lecture on Schools of Thought and the literary terms ebook, I find myself most aligned with Formalism, a school that emphasizes the intrinsic features of a text itself—such as structure, style, and literary devices—over external contexts like author biography or historical background. Formalism’s focus on the text’s internal elements resonates with my analytical approach, as I appreciate dissecting literature to uncover its aesthetic and thematic qualities without distraction from extraneous factors.
Formalism originated in Russia during the early 20th century, notably through the work of Viktor Shklovsky and Roman Jakobson. Their primary motivation was to establish a method of critical analysis that concentrated solely on the literary work's formal aspects, thereby elevating art’s aesthetic qualities while distancing itself from moral or sociopolitical interpretations. This school of thought emerged as a reaction against biographical and historicist approaches, which often overshadowed the literary craft by emphasizing external influences (“Russian Formalists”).
Studying literary theory is essential because it expands our interpretive possibilities and deepens our appreciation of literature. It equips us with critical tools to analyze texts from various perspectives, fostering a richer engagement with literary works. Understanding different schools of thought allows us to appreciate the multiplicity of meanings and enhances our analytical skills, enriching both academic pursuits and personal literary experiences. Engaging with these theories cultivates a critical mindset necessary for meaningful literary critique, ultimately making one a more insightful and reflective reader.
References
Shklovsky, Viktor. "Art as Technique." Russian Formalist Theory, edited by Lee T. Lemon and Marion J. Reis, University of Nebraska Press, 1965.
Jakobson, Roman. "Linguistics and Poetics." Style in Language, edited by Thomas A. Sebeok, MIT Press, 1960, pp. 350-377.
Herman, David. Storytelling and the Sciences of the Mind. MIT Press, 2011.
Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 4th ed., Manchester University Press, 2017.
Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. Oxford University Press, 1973.
Fowler, Roger. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 1996.
Barthes, Roland. "The Death of the Author." Image-Music-Text, translated by Stephen Heath, Hill and Wang, 1977, pp. 142–148.
Wimsatt, William K., and Monroe C. Beardsley. "The Intentional Fallacy." The Sewanee Review, vol. 54, no. 3, 1946, pp. 468–488.
Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. 2nd ed., University of Minnesota Press, 1996.
Leitch, Vincent B., et al. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. 2nd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.