Formalist Criticism

Writing a Formalist Literary Analysis

Using formalism, a critic can show how the various parts of a work are welded together to make an organic whole. This approach examines a text as a self-contained object; it does not, therefore, concern itself with biographical information about the author, historical events outside of the story, literary allusions, mythological patterns, or psychoanalytical traits of the characters (except those aspects explicitly described in the text.)

A formalist critic examines the form of the work as a whole, the form of each part of the text (the individual scenes and chapters), the characters, the settings, the tone, the point of view, the diction, and all other elements of the text which join to make it a single text. After analyzing each part, the critic describes how they work together to give meaning (theme) to the text.

• Point of View

• Setting

• Characters

• Plot

• Symbols

• Theme

A thorough text analysis is essential to write a good paper. Remember that your judgment about a literary work will reflect your values, biases, and experience; however, you'll need to respect the author's words and intentions as presented in the text. Do not analyze a work in terms of what you would like to see; analyze it in terms of what you actually observe. Could you make sure to separate your assumptions from the author's assumptions clearly? Below is a formalist analysis of "The Story of an Hour."

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins

In this unit, you'll be asked to complete a Formalist analysis of Charlotte Perkins' "The Yellow Wallpaper." (See Blackboard for assignment details.)

"The Yellow Wallpaper" details the deterioration of a woman's mental health while she is on a "rest cure" on a rented summer country estate with her family. Her obsession with the yellow wallpaper in her bedroom marks her descent into psychosis from her depression throughout the story.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer, advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She was a utopian feminist and served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Her best-remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," which she wrote after a severe bout of postpartum psychosis.

"The Story of Hour" by Kate Chopin