Literary Theory

Note to Teachers x 

Literary Theory: A Primer 1 

Chapter 1 Russian Formalism, New Criticism, Poetics 20 

An Introduction to Russian Formalism, New Criticism, Poetics 20 

Exercise 1.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 23 

Exercise 1.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Moose” and “At the Fishhouses” 27 

Exercise 1.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 39 

Exercise 1.4 Alice Munro, “Royal Beatings” and “Wild Swans” 42 

Exercise 1.5 The Wachowskis, The Matrix 44 

Chapter 2 Structuralism, Linguistics, Narratology 48 

An Introduction to Structuralism 48 

Exercise 2.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 58 

Exercise 2.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Map” 60 

Exercise 2.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 61 

Exercise 2.4 Alice Munro, “The Progress of Love” 64 

Exercise 2.5 John Ford, The Searchers 66 

Chapter 3 Phenomenology, Reception, Ethics 69 

An Introduction to Phenomenology, Reception, Ethics 69 

Exercise 3.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 72 

Exercise 3.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Fish” 74 

Exercise 3.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 74 

Exercise 3.4 Alice Munro, “Material” 77 

Exercise 3.5 Paul Gilroy, Michael Clayton 78 

Chapter 4 Post-Structuralism 80 

An Introduction to Post-Structuralism 80 

Exercise 4.1William Shakespeare, King Lear 88 

Exercise 4.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Over 2,000 Illustrations and a Complete Concordance” 98 

Exercise 4.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 101 

Exercise 4.4 Alice Munro, “Differently” 105 

Exercise 4.5 Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds and Tom Tykwer, Run, Lola, Run 109 

Chapter 5 Psychoanalysis and Psychology 113 

An Introduction to Psychoanalysis and Psychology 113 

Exercise 5.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 120 

Exercise 5.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Sestina” and “In the Village” 123 

Exercise 5.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 126 

Exercise 5.4 Alice Munro, “Meneseteung” 127 

Exercise 5.5 David Lynch, Blue Velvet 131 

Chapter 6 Marxism and Critical Theory 134 

An Introduction to Marxism and Critical Theory 134 

Exercise 6.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 139 

Exercise 6.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “A Miracle for Breakfast” 142 

Exercise 6.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 142 

Exercise 6.4 Alice Munro, “Hired Girl” and “The Beggar Maid” 144 

Exercise 6.5 Mike Nichols, Working Girl and Stanley Kubrick, The Shining 147 

Chapter 7 History 153 

An Introduction to Historical Criticism 153 

Exercise 7.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 155 

Exercise 7.2 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 163 

Exercise 7.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 164 

Exercise 7.4 Alice Munro, “Walker Brothers Cowboy” 166 

Exercise 7.5 Elizabeth Bishop, “Twelve O’Clock News” 167 

Exercise 7.6 Luis Puenzo, The Official Story and Susana Blaustein MunozandLourdes Portillo, Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo 168 

Chapter 8 Gender Studies 172 

An Introduction to Gender Studies 172 

Exercise 8.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 177 

Exercise 8.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Roosters,” “In the Waiting Room,” and “Exchanging Hats” 185 

Exercise 8.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 189 

Exercise 8.4 Alice Munro, “The Love of a Good Woman” and “Lichen” 190 

Exercise 8.5 Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs and Jenny Livingstone, Paris Is Burning 192 

Chapter 9 Ethnic Studies 198 

An Introduction to Ethnic Studies 198 

Exercise 9.1 Elizabeth Bishop, “Faustina, or Rock Roses” 202 

Exercise 9.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 204 

Exercise 9.3 Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye 205 

Exercise 9.4 NWA, “The Nigga Ya Love To Hate” 207 

Exercise 9.5 Joel Schumacher, Falling Down and Mathieu Kassovitz, Hate 208 

Chapter 10 Indigenous, Postcolonial, and Transnational Studies 215 

Introduction to Indigenous, Postcolonial, and Transnational Studies 215 

Exercise 10.1 Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness 218 

Exercise 10.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Brazil, January 1, 1502” and “The Burglar of Babylon” 224 

Exercise 10.3 Alice Munro, “The Wilderness Station” 227 

Exercise 10.4 Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye 228 

Exercise 10.5 Kieran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss 228 

Exercise 10.6 Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine 230 

Exercise 10.7 Djbril Diop Mambety, Hyenas and Hany Abu-Assad, Paradise Now 233 

Chapter 11 Cognition, Emotion, Evolution, Science 236 

An Introduction to Cognition, Emotion, Evolution, Science 236 

Exercise 11.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 240 

Exercise 11.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “In the Waiting Room,” “Crusoe in England,” and “One Art” 242 

Exercise 11.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 243 

Exercise 11.4 Alice Munro, “Fits” 246 

Exercise 11.5 Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love 247 

Chapter 12 Animals, Humans, Places, Things 250 

An Introduction to Animals, Humans, Places, Things 250 

Exercise 12.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 255 

Exercise 12.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 258 

Exercise 12.3 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Fish” and “Pink Dog” 259 

Exercise 12.4 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 261 

Exercise 12.5 Alice Munro, “Runaway” and “Vandals” 264 

Exercise 12.6 Agnes Varda, Vagabond 266 

Appendix Elizabeth Bishop, “In the Village” 268 

Index 284