Overview

Explaining both why critical theory is important and how to use it, Lois Tyson introduces new students of literature to this often-daunting field in a friendly and readable style. The new edition of this textbook is clearly structured, with chapters based on major theories commonly covered in courses on literature and on critical theory. Key features include: • coverage of major theories including reader-response theory, New Criticism (formalism), psychoanalysis, Marxism, feminism, lesbian/gay/queer theories, African American theory, and postcolonial theory; • practical demonstrations of how to use these theories to interpret short literary works selected from canonical authors including William Faulkner and Alice Walker; • a chapter on reader-response theory that shows students how to use their personal responses to literature while avoiding typical pitfalls; • sections on cultural criticism in each chapter that use our selected theories to interpret productions of popular culture; and • sections on environmental issues (ecocriticism) in the introductory and closing chapters as well as in the chapters on psychoanalysis, Marxism, feminism, lesbian/gay/queer theories, African American theory, and postcolonial theory. This new edition also includes updated and expanded theoretical vocabulary, basic concepts, and suggestions for further study as well as an expanded next-steps appendix that suggests additional literary works for extra practice. Comprehensive, easy to use, and fully updated throughout, Using Critical Theory is the ideal starting point for students beginning degrees in literature, composition, and cultural studies.

Full Product Details

Author:   Lois Tyson (Grand Valley State University, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   4th edition
Weight:   1.210kg
ISBN:  

9781041122203

ISBN 10:   1041122209
Pages:   546
Publication Date:   26 March 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

1 Critical theory, cultural criticism, and the environment What is critical theory, and what does it have to do with me? Critical theory and cultural criticism Critical theory and the environment Ecocriticism’s basic principles An ecocritical reading of “I started Early—Took my Dog” An ecocritical reading of “A White Heron” An ecocritical reading of “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church” Three questions about interpretation most students ask My interpretation is my opinion, so how can it be wrong? Do authors deliberately use concepts from critical theories when they write literary works? How can we interpret a literary work without knowing what the author intended the work to mean? Why feeling confused can be a good sign 2 Using concepts from reader-response theory to understand our own literary interpretations Why should we learn about reader-response theory? Response vehicles Identification with a character The familiar character The familiar plot event The familiar setting Response exercises Identification-with-a-character exercise Familiar-character exercise Familiar-plot-event exercise Familiar-setting exercise How our personal responses can help or hinder interpretation The “symbolic leap” The difference between representing and endorsing human behavior Using our personal responses to generate paper topics Food for further thought Thinking it over Reader-response theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of “The Brother of the Bride” from a reader-response perspective Taking the next step Exercises for further practice Suggestions for further study 3 Using concepts from New Critical theory to understand literature Why should we learn about New Critical theory? Basic concepts Theme Formal elements Unity Close reading and textual evidence Interpretation exercises Appreciating the importance of tradition: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Recognizing the presence of death: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Understanding the power of alienation: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Respecting the importance of nonconformity: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Responding to the challenge of the unknown: Interpreting “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over The limitations of New Critical theory for cultural criticism Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 4 Using concepts from psychoanalytic theory to understand literature Why should we learn about psychoanalytic theory? Basic concepts The family Repression and the unconscious The defenses Core issues The meaning of death The meaning of sexuality Superego, id, ego Dream symbolism Interpretation exercises Analyzing characters’ dysfunctional behavior: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Exploring a character’s insanity: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Understanding dream images in literature: Interpreting “I started Early—Took my Dog” Recognizing a character’s self-healing: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Using psychoanalytic concepts in service of other theories: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Food for further thought Thinking it over Psychoanalytic theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Pretty Woman from a psychoanalytic perspective Psychoanalytic theory and the environment An ecocritical reading of “I started Early—Took my Dog” from a psychoanalytic perspective An ecocritical reading of “A White Heron” from a psychoanalytic perspective Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 5 Using concepts from Marxist theory to understand literature Why should we learn about Marxist theory? Basic concepts Classism Capitalism Competition Commodification The American Dream Rugged individualism Consumerism The role of religion Interpretation exercises Understanding the operations of capitalism: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Recognizing the operations of the American Dream: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Analyzing the operations of classism: Interpreting“A Rose for Emily” Resisting classism: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Learning when not to use Marxist concepts: Resisting the temptation to interpret “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over Marxist theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Pretty Woman from a Marxist perspective Marxist theory and the environment An eco-Marxist reading of “A White Heron” Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 6 Using concepts from feminist theory to understand literature Why should we learn about feminist theory? Basic concepts Patriarchy Traditional gender roles The “cult of ‘true womanhood’” The objectification of women: “good girls” and “bad girls” Sexism Everyday sexism Phallocentrism and phallogocentrism Intersectionality White feminism Multicultural feminism The four waves of feminism Interpretation exercises Rejecting the objectification of women: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Resisting patriarchal ideology: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Recognizing a conflicted attitude toward patriarchy: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Analyzing a sexist text: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Understanding patriarchy’s psychological oppression of women: Interpreting “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over Feminist theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Pretty Woman from a feminist perspective Feminist theory and the environment An ecofeminist reading of “A White Heron” Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 7 Using concepts from lesbian, gay, and queer theories to understand literature Why should we learn about lesbian, gay, and queer theories? Basic concepts Heteronormativity Heterosexism and heteropatriarchy Homophobia and lesbophobia Bisexual people, monosexism, and biphobia Nonbinary people Transgender people and the prefix cis Transphobia Queerphobia Homosocial bonding The woman-identified woman Homoerotic imagery Queer theory Interpretation exercises Rejecting lesbian stereotypes: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Analyzing homophobia: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Recognizing the woman-identified woman in a heterosexual text: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Using queer theory: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Drawing upon context: Interpreting “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over Lesbian, gay, and queer theories and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Philadelphia from a gay perspective Queer theory and the environment The principal goals of queer ecology A queer ecological reading of “Queer Earth” Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 8 Using concepts from African American theory to understand literature Why should we learn about African American theory? Basic concepts African American culture and the African American literary tradition Racism Institutionalized racism (systemic racism) Environmental racism Everyday racism (casual racism) Internalized racism Intraracial racism (colorism) White privilege Double consciousness Interpretation exercises Analyzing the overt operations of institutionalized racism: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Recognizing the “less visible” operations of institutionalized racism: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Understanding the operations of internalized racism: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Exploring the function of black characters in white literature: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Learning when not to use African American concepts: Resisting the temptation to interpret “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over African American theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Waiting to Exhale from an African American perspective African American theory and the environment An ecocritical reading of “Greetings from the Moon, the Sacrificial Side” from an African American perspective Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 9 Using concepts from postcolonial theory to understand literature Why should we learn about postcolonial theory? Basic concepts Colonialist ideology Othering Subalterns The dominant culture The colonial subject Mimicry Unhomeliness Hybridity Anticolonialist resistance Interpretation exercises Understanding colonialist ideology: Interpreting “The Battle Royal” Analyzing the colonial subject: Interpreting “Everyday Use” Exploring the influence of cultural stereotypes: Interpreting “A Rose for Emily” Appreciating anticolonialist resistance: Interpreting “Don’t Explain” Recognizing the othering of nature: Interpreting “I started Early—Took my Dog” Food for further thought Thinking it over Postcolonial theory and cultural criticism A cultural analysis of Waiting to Exhale from a postcolonial perspective Postcolonial theory and the environment An ecocritical reading of “Map” from a postcolonial perspective Taking the next step Questions for further practice Suggestions for further study 10 Holding on to what you’ve learned A shorthand overview of our critical theories A shorthand overview of our literary interpretation exercises “Everyday Use” “The Battle Royal” “A Rose for Emily” “Don’t Explain” “I started Early—Took my Dog” A shorthand overview of our sample readings Pretty Woman Waiting to Exhale Philadelphia “Opie’s Girlfriend” “The Brother of the Bride” “A White Heron” “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church” “I started Early—Took my Dog” “Queer Earth” “Greeting from the Moon, the Sacrificial Side” “Map” A shorthand overview of the range of perspectives offered by each theory Critical theory and cultural criticism revisited Television game shows A situation comedy A cultural analysis of “Opie’s Girlfriend” from a feminist perspective Critical theory and the environment revisited Critical theory and an ethics for a diverse world Appendix A: “I started Early—Took my Dog” (Emily Dickinson, c. 1862) Appendix B: “A White Heron” (Sarah Orne Jewett, 1886) Appendix C: “A Rose for Emily” (William Faulkner, 1931) Appendix D: “The Battle Royal” (Ralph Ellison, 1952) Appendix E: “Everyday Use” (Alice Walker, 1973) Appendix F: “Don’t Explain” (Jewelle Gomez, 1987) Appendix G: Additional literary works for further practice Index

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Author Information

Lois Tyson is Professor Emerita of English at Grand Valley State University, USA. She is the author of Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide (4th edition, 2023).

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