modern literary criticism assignment

Maharani shree nandkuvarba mahila arts and commerce college

Name : Gohil nehaba vikramsninh

T.y B.a sem 6

Subject : English

Topic :

●what is structuralism and scope of Structuralism

●what structuralism critics do

● Postcolonial Background

●●●Class assignment ●●●

Structuralism:

Explanation and Scope

Introduction

Structuralism is a 20th-century intellectual movement that studies literature, language, and culture as structured systems. It argues that meaning is not created individually by an author but is produced through underlying structures of language, signs, and conventions.

Structuralism tries to analyze these hidden structures scientifically and systematically.

The theory began in linguistics and later influenced literary criticism, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and cultural studies.

Origin and Background of Structuralism

Structuralism developed mainly from the ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure, who is considered the father of modern linguistics. In his lectures (later published as Course in General Linguistics), he introduced key ideas that became the foundation of structuralism.

Later, thinkers like:

Claude Lévi-Strauss (Anthropology)

Roland Barthes (Literary criticism)

Roman Jakobson (Linguistics)

Jacques Lacan (Psychoanalysis)

expanded structuralist ideas into different fields.

Basic Principles of Structuralism

1. Language as a System of Signs

According to Saussure, language is a structured system of signs. Each sign has two parts:

Signifier – the sound or written form (e.g., the word "tree")

Signified – the concept or meaning (the idea of a tree)

Meaning does not come from the word itself but from its difference from other words. For example, “tree” has meaning because it is different from “plant” or “bush.”

2. Langue and Parole

Saussure made a distinction between:

Langue – The system or rules of language

Parole – The actual speech or use of language

Structuralism focuses on langue (the structure), not individual speech.

3. Binary Oppositions

Structuralists believe that human thinking is based on opposites such as:

Good / Evil

Nature / Culture

Male / Female

Life / Death

These oppositions create meaning in literature and culture.

Claude Lévi-Strauss found that myths across cultures are built on similar binary oppositions.

4. Structure over Author

Structuralism gives less importance to the author’s intention. It focuses on:

Patterns

Codes

Narrative structures

●●Systems of meaning●●

●●For example, Roland Barthes argued that literature should be studied as a system of signs rather than focusing on the writer’s personal life.

♤♡♤Structuralism in Literary Criticism♤♡♤

In literature, structuralism studies:

1. Narrative Structure

It examines common patterns in stories such as:

Beginning → Conflict → Climax → Resolution

Hero vs Villain

Russian critic Vladimir Propp (though not mentioned earlier) studied folk tales and identified common character functions.

2. Character Roles

Characters are seen as functions in a system, such as:

●Hero

●Helper

●Villain

●Donor

3. Themes and Symbols

Structuralists analyze recurring symbols and myths in literature.

♤♡♤Scope of Structuralism♡♤♡

Structuralism has a very wide scope because it applies to many disciplines.

1. Scope in Linguistics

●Study of phonology (sound system)

●Grammar structures

●Sentence patterns

●Meaning relationships

It studies how language functions as a system.

2. Scope in Literature

●Study of narrative patterns

●Study of myths and archetypes

●Analysis of plot structures

●Study of literary codes and conventions

It treats literature as part of a larger cultural system.

3. Scope in Anthropology

Claude Lévi-Strauss applied structuralism to:

●Tribal myths

●Marriage systems

●Kinship patterns

●He showed that different cultures share similar structural patterns.

4. Scope in Semiotics

Structuralism studies:

●Advertisements

●Films

●Fashion

●Media

Everything that communicates meaning through signs can be analyzed structurally.

5. Scope in Psychology

Jacques Lacan applied structuralist ideas to psychoanalysis. He argued that the human unconscious is structured like a language.

6. Scope in Sociology

●Structuralism studies:

●●Social institutions

●●Cultural practices

●●Ideological systems

It examines how individuals are shaped by social structures.

♤♡♤Advantages of Structuralism♡♤♡

●Provides scientific method in literary study

●Focuses on deep structure

●Useful for analyzing myths and narratives

●Makes literature objective rather than personal

Limitations of Structuralism

●Ignores author’s intention

●Ignores historical and social context

Too rigid and mechanical

●Later criticized by Post-Structuralists

Conclusion

Structuralism is a theory that studies literature, language, and culture as structured systems of signs. It focuses on hidden patterns and relationships rather than individual meaning. Its scope is very broad, covering linguistics, literary criticism, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.

Though later challenged by Post-Structuralism, structuralism remains an important foundation in literary theory.

●●●●Home assignment ●●●●

Structuralist Critics – What They Do

🔹 Introduction to Structuralism

Structuralism is a literary theory that studies literature as a system of signs. It believes that meaning is not created by the author alone, but by the structure of language and cultural systems behind the text.

Structuralism developed in the 20th century and is based on the ideas of the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.

🔹 Main Idea of Structuralism

Structuralist critics focus on:

●The structure of a text

●The language system

●Patterns, codes, and conventions

Universal rules behind stories

●●They believe that literature follows certain hidden rules and structures, just like language.

🔹 What Structuralist Critics Explain

1️⃣ Language as a System of Signs

Structuralists say language is made up of signs.

According to Ferdinand de Saussure:

A Sign has two parts:

●Signifier – the word (sound/image)

●Signified – the concept or meaning

Example: The word “tree” is the signifier. The mental image of a tree is the signified.

Structuralist critics study how these signs create meaning in literature.

2️⃣ Binary Oppositions

Structuralist critics explain that meaning is created through binary oppositions (opposite pairs).

Examples:

Good / Evil

Male / Female

Light / Dark

Rich / Poor

They analyze how these opposites shape the story.

This idea is connected with anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, who studied myths and found common structures in them.

3️⃣ Structure of Narratives

Structuralist critics believe that all stories follow similar patterns.

For example, Russian critic Vladimir Propp studied fairy tales and found:

Common character types (hero, villain, helper, princess, etc.)

Fixed narrative functions (departure, struggle, victory, return)

So structuralists explain the underlying structure of stories rather than focusing on emotions or moral lessons.

4️⃣ Myths and Universal Patterns

Structuralists say that myths from different cultures have similar structures.

Claude Lévi-Strauss explained that myths reflect universal human thinking patterns.

So critics:

●Compare myths

●Study repeated structures

●Identify cultural codes

5️⃣ Text Over Author

Structuralism focuses more on the text itself, not the author's personal life.

Later critic Roland Barthes even said in his essay The Death of the Author that:

The author’s intention does not control meaning.

Meaning is produced by language and readers.

6️⃣ Cultural and Literary Codes

Structuralist critics explain that texts follow certain:

●Cultural codes

●Social conventions

●Literary traditions

For example: A detective story follows certain rules. A fairy tale follows a pattern.

They analyze these systems.

🔹 Key Features of Structuralist

Criticism

●Studies structure, not emotion

●Focuses on language system

●Looks for patterns and rules

●Analyzes binary oppositions

Studies myths and universal structures

Ignores author’s biography

🔹 Example of Structuralist Analysis

If we analyze Cinderella structurally:

●Binary opposition → Rich / Poor

●Character roles → Heroine, Villain, Helper

●Pattern → Suffering → Help → Recognition → Marriage

A structuralist critic explains the structure behind the story.

🔹 Conclusion

Structuralist critics explain:

How language creates meaning

Hidden structures in literature

Universal narrative patterns

Cultural systems behind texts

They believe literature is part of a larger system of signs and structures, not just personal expression.

●●●● Essay ●●●●●

Postcolonial Criticism – Background

🔹 Introduction

Postcolonial criticism is a literary theory that studies the effects of colonialism and imperialism on colonized countries, their people, culture, language, and identity.

It examines how powerful European nations ruled and controlled countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and how this domination influenced literature and culture.

🔹 Historical Background

1️⃣ Colonialism and Imperialism

From the 15th to the 20th century, European countries like:

United Kingdom

France

Spain

Portugal

established colonies in:

India

Nigeria

Kenya

Jamaica

These countries controlled political power, economy, education, and culture.

2️⃣ Independence Movements

In the 20th century, many colonies gained independence.

For example:

India became independent in 1947.

Many African nations became independent in the 1950s–60s.

After independence, writers began to question:

How colonial rule changed their culture

How Western education influenced their thinking

How their identity was shaped

This questioning gave birth to postcolonial criticism.

🔹 Intellectual Background

Postcolonial criticism developed in the late 20th century and was influenced by:

Structuralism

Post-structuralism

Marxism

But it mainly focuses on power, identity, race, culture, and representation.

🔹 Important Thinkers of Postcolonial Criticism

1️⃣ Frantz Fanon

Wrote Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth

Explained psychological effects of colonialism

Said colonized people suffer from identity crisis

2️⃣ Edward Said

Wrote Orientalism (1978)

Said the West created a false image of the East

Explained how literature and media represent Eastern people as backward or inferior

This book is considered the foundation of postcolonial studies.

3️⃣ Homi K. Bhabha

Introduced ideas like:

Hybridity

Mimicry

Ambivalence

Explained how colonized people imitate colonizers but also resist them

4️⃣ Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

Wrote Can the Subaltern Speak?

Discussed how marginalized voices are silenced

Focused on women in colonial societies

🔹 Key Concepts in Postcolonial

Criticism

🔸 1. Orientalism

The West’s way of seeing the East as strange, weak, and uncivilized.

🔸 2. Hybridity

Mixing of two cultures (colonizer and colonized).

🔸 3. Mimicry

Colonized people copy the colonizer’s language and behavior.

🔸 4. Identity Crisis

Loss of original culture and confusion about identity.

🔸 5. Subaltern

Marginalized people whose voices are ignored.

🔹 Features of Postcolonial Literature

Focus on race and identity

Criticism of Western superiority

Use of native language and culture

Resistance to colonial power

Recovery of lost history

🔹 Why Postcolonial Criticism is Important

It gives voice to colonized people

It challenges Western dominance

It studies cultural oppression

It helps understand modern global politics

🔹 Conclusion

Postcolonial criticism emerged after colonial countries gained independence. It studies:

The impact of colonial rule

Cultural domination

Identity problems

Representation of East and West

It is one of the most important modern literary theories.

gohil nehaba

modern literary criticism assignment

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