A theory is a set of complex ideas that account for a situation. For example, feminist theory is a set of ideas related to identity that accounts for the ways that men are empowered and women are disempowered in society. We can take one of these theories and apply it to a text to form an interpretation of the ways the texts contribute to cultural values. So, to continue with the example of feminist theory, we can apply the set of ideas and concepts within this theory to a text in order to see the ways in which the text empowers or disempowers one gender over another. In this way, we can see literary theory as a particular lens we use to understand the text. In regard to our analysis model, we discuss literary theories at Level 3.