Literary Criticism Quiz

Which of the following is most associated with psychological criticism in literature?

• The impact of the historical context on the work

• The unconscious desires and fears of characters

• The social function of the text in society

• The reader’s interpretation of the story’s meaning

Deconstructionist criticism argues that:

• The text has a clear, singular meaning

• The text is full of contradictions and multiple meanings

• The author's background is irrelevant

• The reader’s feelings are the key to understanding the text

Formalist critics ignore:

• The author’s life

• The symbolism in the text

• The historical context

• The structure and language of the text

This approach focuses on the structure, language, and form of the text, ignoring the author's life or historical context.

• Formalist

• Historical

• Gender

• Psychological

This approach examines how texts portray gender roles, expectations, and identities, often critiquing the power dynamics between men and women.

• Deconstructionist

• Gender

• Psychological

• Sociological

This approach looks at the psychological motivations and unconscious desires of characters, often using Freudian or Jungian analysis.

• Sociological

• Psychological

• Mythological

• Formalist

This approach focuses on how universal myths, archetypes, and symbols (like the hero’s journey) are represented in the text.

• Deconstructionist

• Reader-Response

• Mythological

• Sociological

This approach would analyze a text by focusing on how the form and language of the text contribute to its overall meaning and aesthetic value.

• Historical

• Psychological

• Formalist

• Reader-Response

This approach examines how language in a text creates contradictions, which undermine any fixed or stable meaning.

• Historical

• Sociological

• Deconstructionist

• Mythological

This approach explores how literature reflects, critiques, or reinforces societal structures, including class, race, and power dynamics.

• Sociological

• Historical

• Gender

• Deconstructionist