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 4.1 William 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 Munoz and Lourdes 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
