Literary Criticism

Thoughts on Slaughterhouse Five

Kurt Vonnegjut, Jr.'s Slaughterhouse Five displays a monotonous indifference to death, human cruelty, and suffering. An extreme...

The Quaker Influence in Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist

Note: This paper provides literature students with an example of the biographical and mimetic approaches to literature. Elizabeth Evans,...

Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd: An Ideal Source for a Tory Message

Note: The following analysis is an example of the historical biographical approach to literature. In his article "Political...

Sound in Shakespeare's "Tempest": A Formalist Approach

This academic exercise takes a formalist approach to William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. It is not intended to be a well-developed...

A Historical/Biographical Approach to Sandra Cisneros's "Never Marry a Mexican"

Note: This is an academic exercise that takes a historical / biographical critical approach to Sandra Cisneros’s short story, "Never...

A Freudian Analysis of Erin McGraw's "A Thief"

Note: This is an academic exercise that takes a psychological critical approach to Erin McGraw’s short story, "A Thief." This is not...

A Feminist Approach to “Woman Hollering Creek”

Note: This is an academic exercise that takes a feminist critical approach to Sandra Cisneros’s short story “Woman Hollering Creek.” ...

A Formalist Reading of "Woman Hollering Creek"

Note: This is an academic exercise that uses formalism (new criticism) to examine Sandra Cisneros’s short story “Woman Hollering Creek.” ...

A Symbolic Approach to Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Note: This is an academic exercise that takes a symbolic approach to Kate Chopin’s novelette. This is not intended to be a...

A Toolbox for Understanding Literature: Seven Critical Approaches

The toolbox of literary criticism offers us a variety of ways to tinker with the text until we have a better understanding. We can use...

As Days Go By: A Reflection on a Hopeful Poet

During my twenty years as editor and publisher of Ancient Paths literary magazine, several thousand poems have come across my desk for...