New Criticism - "emphasized the artistic or "aesthetic" aspect of literature, where metaphor, irony, and poetic devices are interpreted so as to come together to create and "organic unity" of form and meaning." (21)
On page 19, Webb address the topic of teaching issues. "When I have taught about serious, difficult, or potentially overwhelming issues like the Holocaust, apartheid, or homelessness, I know that my students stand to gain vital cultural knowledge and significant academic benefit, but I find that I worry about how such heavy topics will affect them emotionally." I feel like he brings up a good point. Students need to be taught these things, they happened/ are happening and should not be avoided. I understand it can be difficult material, but in understanding these events student will have a better idea of the world around them, and with the topic of homelessness they may be encouraged to help out to fight it.
Historical Criticism
- Biographical Criticism - "literature is read by examining its relationship to the authors life. A knowledge of the life and struggles of an author gives students a clearer sense of the varied purposes of writing, allowing them to make connections between themselves and well-known artists." (23)
- Literary Tradition Criticism - "What matters is not the life of the author, but the relation of his or her work to "great literature" both before and after." (23)
- Political Criticism - "often tied to social change and revolutionary movements" (24)
I like on page 25 that Webb makes the point "A key to cultural studies teaching, then. is helping students make connections between the literature they read in the classroom and the life experience of people in their community and around the world." I like this statement because it causes students to focus on the world around them rather than be detached from the characters in the text. It makes the text more real.
1 comment:
I totally agree! Students do not need to be sheltered from issues such as homelesness simply because our goverment does so. Controversial issues are a part of everyday life, so if our goal as educators is to prepare students to become functional participants in society, they need to be aware of the unfortunate societal conditions (poverty,genocide,racism,prejudice)which exist. If these issues are brought to their attention, the less likely they will hold negative, preconcieved notions about a group of people or historical event. Who knows, maybe the issue will be of such great significance to the students that they may want to take action.
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