Formalist Literary Theory: Notes

I've founded a good summary on Formalism (New Criticism), and I added it to the links list. It's brief, but it gives you a thorough overview.

Response Topics and Reading List for Unit 2: Short Fiction

Please read the following short stories before the presentations. Select any 2 of the stories to generate 2 responses on your response blog. Each response should evaluate some aspect of the story through the lens of literary criticism attached to that story. For example, "The Shining Houses" by Alice Munro is attached to the Marxist Literary Criticism presentation, so you might choose to write about who controls the socio-economic power in the story, or you might write about how Mary is the real victim of social oppression in the story. As you can see, the topics arise from the preoccupations and priorities of the particular school of criticism.


Formalist Literary Theory -- "Araby" by James Joyce -- Echoes 12
Reader Response Theory -- "Two Words" by Isabel Allende -- Imprints 12
Marxist Lit. Theory -- "The Shining Houses" by Alice Munro -- Imprints 12
Feminist Lit. Theory -- "Touching Bottom" by Kari Strutt -- Imprints 12Archetypal Lit. Theory -- "The Return" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o -- Imprints 12Post-Modern Lit. Theory -- "A Girl's Story" by David Arnason -- Echoes 12

Argument and Persuasion

These two methods of development are quite complex. There is a lot of structure at work in each, and of course, the relationship between the two is symbiotic in application. I've attached a link here that explains some of the structures and principles in greater detail. It's worth a visit.

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/making_argument/making_argument.htm

Metacognitive Reflection #1

definition of metacognition: The knowledge of one’s own thinking processes and strategies, and the ability to consciously reflect and act on the knowledge of cognition to modify those processes and strategies.


In reviewing the evidence and feedback from your socratic circle experience, explore your strengths and weaknesses as a participant in oral discussion and plot a course of action for improvement in the next go around. If you had to affix an adjective label to yourself that indicates to others the type of oral participant you are, what would the label read and why?

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."

-- Coco Chanel

Presentations and Public Speaking

"A Fire Truck" by Richard Wilbur

Our purpose here is to make clear that analysis of literature follows the same principles regardless of genre. True, the structures are different, but the same principles of reading and writing apply.

Address these two questions in your next blog posting. Complete the posting before next Friday the 13th (cue music: doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo...)

1. What is the purpose of the poem?

2. Is "A Fire Truck" good poetry? Justify your response drawing on your knowledge of good and bad writing.

Practise Writing Methods of Development

For each of the methods of development presented in class by your peers, write a paragraph long sample of each on your blog. You could link the topic to your informal essay topic, or you could write each sample on a separate topic. You decide. The key thing is that your samples should reflect the criteria of that particular method of development. More importantly, write about what grips you "in the moment" so that your voice is authentic.