A handbook of critical approaches to literature. / Wilfred L. Guerin ... [et al.].

Chapter discusses the reader's initial involvement with a work of literary art , emphasizing the importance . Chapter 2 considers the cluster of perspectives generally accepted as traditional ---the biographical , the historical , the moralistic , and the pohilosophical . Chapter 3 deals with the formalistic approach , which has come to be especially associated with the New Criticism . Chapter 4 presnets a treatment of psychology in literature ,focusing on traditional Freudian concepts . Chapter 5 moves into the realm odf cultural myths and archetypal patterns as they are manifested in literature with particular attention to the archetypal theories of of C.G.Jung.Chapter 6 serves as an intensive introduction to the feminist approach , with its rich sociological and political as well as aesthetic implications . Chapter 7 addresses one of the liveliest and widest-ranging recent developemnts in the teaching of literature , cultural studies , with special attention to examples of American multiculturalism in the works of African American , Latina / 0 , American Indian , and Asian American Writers .Chapter 8 discusses ten additional approaches to conserve space .

Offers a variety of ways to interpret a piece of literature ranging from traditional approaches through the formalist, the psychological, the mythic and archetypal and into such contemporary approaches as feminist criticism and cultural studies. Shows how various methods offer different insights, enriching response to and understanding of an individual work. Features a new chapter on cultural studies and the inclusion and interpretation of Alice Walker's singularly rich short story "Everyday Use".