Teaching of Literature

Multiple Choice

Which of the following examples best illustrates idealism?

• “The truth shall set you free.” (Biblical text, John 8:32)

• “All men are created equal.” (Declaration of Independence, Jefferson, 1776)

• “The world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” (Shakespeare, As You Like It)

• “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” (Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting)

Multiple Choice

Which reflects Pragmatism?

• “It is not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.” (Francis Bacon)

• “Man is the measure of all things.” (Protagoras)

• “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings)

• “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” (John Dewey)

Multiple Choice

Which line demonstrates Existentialism?

• “Hell is other people.” (Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit)

• “Bayan o sarili?” (El Filibusterismo, Rizal)

• “Not all those who wander are lost.” (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)

• “To see the world in a grain of sand.” (William Blake, Auguries of Innocence)

Multiple Choice

Which example shows Humanism in literature?

• “The proper study of mankind is man.” (Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man)

• “Machines will outthink us all someday.” (Science fiction, speculative theme)

• Filipino immigrants persevere despite hardships (America Is in the Heart)“Man is condemned to be free.” (Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism)

• Jean Valjean’s redemption journey in Les Misérables (Hugo, 1862)“Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda.” (Rizal, Sa Aking Mga Kabata)

Multiple Choice

Which example demonstrates Reader-Response Theory?

• A student says, “I felt hopeful after reading Florante at Laura because it shows resilience despite suffering.”

• A teacher explains the historical background of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.

• A critic analyzes the rhyme and meter in a sonnet.

• Exploring postcolonial identity in Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1958)

Multiple Choice

Which example demonstrates Formalism / New Criticism?

• A critic points out the use of symbolism in the title May Day Eve (Nick Joaquin).

• A student connects Noli Me Tangere to Philippine history under Spain.

• A teacher explains how Jose Garcia Villa’s poems influenced later Filipino poets.

• A class discusses how colonialism shaped Things Fall Apart.

Multiple Choice

Which example aligns with Sociocultural / Marxist Theory?

• “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (Shakespeare, Sonnet 18)

• “Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang.” (No one lives for themselves alone))

• “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose…” (Romeo and Juliet)

• “The woods are lovely, dark and deep…” (Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening)

Multiple Choice

Which example is best explained by Postcolonial Theory?

• Students share personal responses to Isang Dipang Langit

• Analyzing literary devices in Florante at Laura

• Analyzing how Florante at Laura portrays the suffering of the oppressed against the ruling elite.

• Focusing on metaphors in Emily Dickinson’s poems.

Open Ended

After learning about the philosophical and theoretical foundations of teaching literature, which idea or theory do you think is the most useful for understanding stories, and why?