Themes of the Theory Application Assignment

 

1.       ADoing Criticism.@

 

a.      Criticism is applying a (describable) method (set of procedures, concepts and standards) to a subject in an explicated manner to produce new or enriched understanding of the subject Atext.@

 

b.      The Format of a Scholarly Critical Work

 

                                                  i.      Introduction (not necessarily in this order)

1.      Topic/subject/text identification

2.       Relevance-significance

3.       Background

4.       Thesis / Research Question

                                                ii.      Body (not necessarily in this order)

1.      Method

2.      Analysis of text using method

3.      Interpretation (meanings revealed) of text based on analysis

                                              iii.      Conclusion

1.      Evaluation of text

2.      Implications of the criticism

3.      Ideas for further analysis research

 

c.      Semiotic Criticism is relatively OBJECTIVE

                                                  i.      While it may involve ambiguity as to associations and intents, the meanings derived come from SHARED understandings and codes.

                                                ii.      It is not psychoanalytic, or purely speculative.  It does not allow the critic to make signs mean anything he or she wishes.

 

last updated 2/5/2001