Literary Theory

Michael Ryan is Professor of Film and Media Arts at Temple University. His books include Marxism and Deconstruction (1982), Camera Politica: The Politics and Ideology of Contemporary American Film (with Douglas Kellner, 1986), Politics and Culture (1989), and Literary Theory: An Anthology (3nd edition, edited with Julie Rivkin).

• Note to Teachers x Literary Theory: A Primer 1 Chapter 1 Russian Formalism, New Criticism, Poetics 20 An Introduction to Russian Formalism, New Criticism, Poetics 20 Exercise 1.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 23 Exercise 1.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Moose” and “At the Fishhouses” 27 Exercise 1.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 39 Exercise 1.4 Alice Munro, “Royal Beatings” and “Wild Swans” 42 Exercise 1.5 The Wachowskis, The Matrix 44 Chapter 2 Structuralism, Linguistics, Narratology 48 An Introduction to Structuralism 48 Exercise 2.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 58 Exercise 2.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Map” 60 Exercise 2.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 61 Exercise 2.4 Alice Munro, “The Progress of Love” 64 Exercise 2.5 John Ford, The Searchers 66 Chapter 3 Phenomenology, Reception, Ethics 69 An Introduction to Phenomenology, Reception, Ethics 69 Exercise 3.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 72 Exercise 3.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Fish” 74 Exercise 3.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 74 Exercise 3.4 Alice Munro, “Material” 77 Exercise 3.5 Paul Gilroy, Michael Clayton 78 Chapter 4 Post-Structuralism 80 An Introduction to Post-Structuralism 80 Exercise 4.1William Shakespeare, King Lear 88 Exercise 4.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Over 2,000 Illustrations and a Complete Concordance” 98 Exercise 4.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 101 Exercise 4.4 Alice Munro, “Differently” 105 Exercise 4.5 Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds and Tom Tykwer, Run, Lola, Run 109 Chapter 5 Psychoanalysis and Psychology 113 An Introduction to Psychoanalysis and Psychology 113 Exercise 5.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 120 Exercise 5.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Sestina” and “In the Village” 123 Exercise 5.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 126 Exercise 5.4 Alice Munro, “Meneseteung” 127 Exercise 5.5 David Lynch, Blue Velvet 131 Chapter 6 Marxism and Critical Theory 134 An Introduction to Marxism and Critical Theory 134 Exercise 6.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 139 Exercise 6.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “A Miracle for Breakfast” 142 Exercise 6.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 142 Exercise 6.4 Alice Munro, “Hired Girl” and “The Beggar Maid” 144 Exercise 6.5 Mike Nichols, Working Girl and Stanley Kubrick, The Shining 147 Chapter 7 History 153 An Introduction to Historical Criticism 153 Exercise 7.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 155 Exercise 7.2 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 163 Exercise 7.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 164 Exercise 7.4 Alice Munro, “Walker Brothers Cowboy” 166 Exercise 7.5 Elizabeth Bishop, “Twelve O’Clock News” 167 Exercise 7.6 Luis Puenzo, The Official Story and Susana Blaustein MunozandLourdes Portillo, Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo 168 Chapter 8 Gender Studies 172 An Introduction to Gender Studies 172 Exercise 8.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 177 Exercise 8.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Roosters,” “In the Waiting Room,” and “Exchanging Hats” 185 Exercise 8.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 189 Exercise 8.4 Alice Munro, “The Love of a Good Woman” and “Lichen” 190 Exercise 8.5 Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs and Jenny Livingstone, Paris Is Burning 192 Chapter 9 Ethnic Studies 198 An Introduction to Ethnic Studies 198 Exercise 9.1 Elizabeth Bishop, “Faustina, or Rock Roses” 202 Exercise 9.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 204 Exercise 9.3 Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye 205 Exercise 9.4 NWA, “The Nigga Ya Love To Hate” 207 Exercise 9.5 Joel Schumacher, Falling Down and Mathieu Kassovitz, Hate 208 Chapter 10 Indigenous, Postcolonial, and Transnational Studies 215 Introduction to Indigenous, Postcolonial, and Transnational Studies 215 Exercise 10.1 Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness 218 Exercise 10.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “Brazil, January 1, 1502” and “The Burglar of Babylon” 224 Exercise 10.3 Alice Munro, “The Wilderness Station” 227 Exercise 10.4 Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye 228 Exercise 10.5 Kieran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss 228 Exercise 10.6 Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine 230 Exercise 10.7 Djbril Diop Mambéty, Hyenas and Hany Abu-Assad, Paradise Now 233 Chapter 11 Cognition, Emotion, Evolution, Science 236 An Introduction to Cognition, Emotion, Evolution, Science 236 Exercise 11.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 240 Exercise 11.2 Elizabeth Bishop, “In the Waiting Room,” “Crusoe in England,” and “One Art” 242 Exercise 11.3 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 243 Exercise 11.4 Alice Munro, “Fits” 246 Exercise 11.5 Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love 247 Chapter 12 Animals, Humans, Places, Things 250 An Introduction to Animals, Humans, Places, Things 250 Exercise 12.1 William Shakespeare, King Lear 255 Exercise 12.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 258 Exercise 12.3 Elizabeth Bishop, “The Fish” and “Pink Dog” 259 Exercise 12.4 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 261 Exercise 12.5 Alice Munro, “Runaway” and “Vandals” 264 Exercise 12.6 Agnes Varda, Vagabond 266 Appendix Elizabeth Bishop, “In the Village” 268 Index 284