Literary Lenses

Consider for a moment the three images above. They are all houses BUT they are all completely different. They are different based on the belief and value systems of the people who live in them, the environment in which the people live and how the people live.

They are all houses, but the way in which they interpret the word house is very different based on this background knowledge of the people who build them and live in them.

What's this got to do with reading books? Well, based on your belief systems, what you value as important, your experiences and the environment you grew up in, you will interpret and see things that other people don't see.

For example, consider for a moment how you would consider Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh if you had ever had depression, or Tigger, if you knew someone who had ADHD. You might see those links in the characters from the book.

Another example might be Paddington Bear. He was 'named' Paddington by the Browns who found him in Paddington Station and took him into their family. On the surface this might seem a nice thing to do by the Browns. But if you've ever had someone call you a name because they couldn't pronounce your actual name (which is why Paddington got a new name), you might feel sorry for Paddington and angry at the Browns.

Both viewpoints aren't wrong, they're just different based on the experiences of the reader. The trick is to recognise your own viewpoints and be able to step out of those and consider other people's perspectives.

Have a read of this news article from Al Jazeera about ta moko and how this important text has been viewed differently throughout time.

The danger of a single story - Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieOur lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

Further Explanation

Have a look at these schools of thinking around literary interpretation. It will be overwhelming, because this is a whole lot of new knowledge that will wash over you, but as we delve deeper into our focus texts for the year, it will begin to make more sense. As you read/watch/listen, have a think about the values, beliefs, and contexts that define the way in which you read texts - what do you hold important?

Introduction to Literary Theory // Purdue Writing LabThe Purdue University Online Writing Lab serves writers from around the world and the Purdue University Writing Lab helps writers on Purdue's campus.

Postcolonialism and Feminism

Here are two important lenses to really sink your teeth into as we head into the year. Both of them grapple with the hegemonic power structures of the world.

Basically what this means is that Post Colonialist creators and Feminist writers are both trying to make space in the world for stories about more than just white, European men who have traditionally being the people that held all the power in the world - basically they've been in power for so long, we don't even realise it anymore.

Postcolonial and feminist views are about forcing open space for indigenous people and females to tell their stories about what the experience of being colonised (usually by white, European guys) has meant for indigenous people and what the experience of being female means.

Is it really feminist (or post colonialist)?

One tricky element of literary lenses to consider is if a text that seems to be feminist (or post colonialist) from the outside is actually feminist (or post colonialist). Does it actually make space for the stories of women? Consider this text from the NZ Listener. It claims a feminist perspective from it's headline, but have a look and consider if you really think that it makes space for the stories of women, or, does it actually reinforce old school power structures by only really talking about men? Consider how 'post-colonial' films such as Once Were Warriors or Boy are as well.

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