Holds that true meaning of a text can be determined only by analyzing the literary elements of the text and by understanding how these elements work together to form up a cohesive whole

• structuralist/formalist

• Marxist

• historical

• moralist

Involves the understanding of the historical and cultural conditions that influence the production of the literary work

• reader-response

• feminist

• moralist

• historical

Determines whether a work conveys a lesson or message and whether it can help readers lead better lives and improve their understanding of the world

• historical

• moralist

• feminist

• reader-response

Focuses on female representation in literature, paying attention to female points-of-view, concerns, and values

• reader-response

• feminist

• moralist

• historical

Is more of the readers own reaction to the text upon reading it that may be influenced by his/her own experiences; hence two different readers may derive completely different interpretations of the same literary text

• Marxist

• historical

• feminist

• reader-response

Tries to understand how power, politics, and money play a role in literary texts and how these elements impact the society and characters in the text

• Marxist

• feminist

• historical

• reader-response

• structuralist/formalist

• Marxist

• moralist

• feminist

• Marxist

• historical

• feminist

• reader-response

• structuralist/formalist

• Marxist

• moralist

• feminist

• reader-response

• historical

•  Marxist

• feminist