Literary Theory

Literary theory to me is like looking at a picture on a smart phone with different filters. Each filter highlights something that another filter does not, just like each theory helps us see a single work of literature from different perspectives.

When I read and discuss books with different lenses, it is like looking at a magic eye painting. Try looking at the album cover below from the Dave Matthews Band's Remember Two Things. Stare at it for a while and mess with your focus. Soon, you may see a hand giving you the peace sign.

Try a second time with the image on the right. If you do it right, you will see a phone like those in your teachers' classrooms.

For an advanced Magic Eye experience, try the moving image below the other two. What do you see?

Sometimes when we read novels and short stories in class, we will look at them through the lens of various literary theories. Included here is a presentation on literary criticism in general and a few specific theories, too.

INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY THEORY PRESENTATION

Here is Wilco and Tweedy front man and lyricist Jeff Tweedy in an Atlantic article talking about "Subconscious Songwriting."

And here is a very timely article from Mental Floss Magazinethat explores whether or not authors consciously or subconsciously use symbols in their writing. The answers come from the authors themselves!

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