Unit 1 English 11, Literary Theories, Stereotypes, Bias, Predjudice, Pathos, Ethos and Logos
What is the definition of Archetypal Criticism?
Looks for universal patterns in stories—heroes, journeys, quests, recurring symbols—that appear across cultures and time.
What is the definition of Feminist Criticism?
Examines how literature portrays women, gender roles, patriarchy, and whether female voices are marginalized or stereotyped.
What is the definition of Marxist Criticism ?
Analyzes class, economic power, social inequality; how literature reflects or critiques society’s material conditions and power structures.
What is the definition of Reader-Response Criticism ?
Emphasizes the reader’s role: meaning comes from the interaction between the reader’s own experiences/beliefs and the text.
What is the definition of Deconstruction?
Argues that texts don’t have one fixed meaning; language is unstable, and contradictions or multiple interpretations are inevitable.
What is the definition of Formalism?
Focuses mostly on the form of the workstructure, style, meter, syntax, language, rather than content or authorial/historical context.
What is the definition of Psychoanalytic Criticism?
Uses ideas from Freud (and others) to explore unconscious desires, conflicts, anxieties—both in characters and possibly the author.
What is the definition of Postcolonial Criticism?
Looks at literature from and about colonized people; issues like colonial power, cultural identity, oppression, and resistance.
What is the definition of Queer Theory?
Examines how literature treats sexuality and gender, challenges binary norms (man/woman, heterosexual/homosexual), explores fluid identities.
What is the definition of New Historicism?
Places the work in its historical and cultural context, and also considers how critics’ own contexts affect their interpretations. Literature both influences and is influenced by history.
What is a Literary Theorie?
A way of looking at and analyzing literature.
It gives us different “lenses” or methods to understand what a text means, how it works, and why it matters.
What is the definition of Bias?
Personal favoritism or inclination, can be conscious or unconscious
What is the definition of Stereotype?
Oversimplified general belief about a group
What is the definition of Prejudice?
Negative judgment or attitude toward someone/group based on different beliefes.
What is the definition of Stigma?
Social disapproval or shame attached to a person/group
What is the definition of Pluralism?
The Existence of different types of people, who have different belifs and opinions, within the same society.
The belief that the exitence of different types of people within the same society is a good thing.
What is the definition of intersectionality?
People can face multiple forms of discrimination or disadvantage at the same time, because of overlapping aspects of their identity
What is the definition of Ethos?
A rhetorical appeal that relies on the speaker’s or writer’s authority, trustworthiness, or moral character to persuade the audience. It answers the question: “Why should I trust you?
What is the definition of Pathos?
A rhetorical appeal that seeks to persuade by stirring the audience’s emotions—such as sympathy, fear, joy, or anger in order to connect with them on a deeper level. It answers the question: “How does this make me feel?
What is the definition of Logos?
A rhetorical appeal that uses evidence, facts, statistics, or logical reasoning to convince the audience. It answers the question: “Does this make sense?