Criticism Theories
What is the Feminist Criticism Theory?
When a power dynamic relationship is present between the sexes: female and male usually presenting a patriarchal society
Which statement best summarizes Act I of Pygmalion?
A. While selling flowers to bystanders, a girl meets several people from different levels of society and offends two nearby linguists
B. A wealthy mother and her daughter wait for a cab while bystanders gather around a flower girl and the commotion she has caused.
C. Two linguistic scholars meet while conversing with a poor girl who is attempting to sell flowers to the wealthy bystanders around her.
D. While recording the conversations around him, a linguist gets into a minor conflict with a flower girl and ends up meeting a respected scholar.
D. While recording the conversations around him, a linguist gets into a minor conflict with a flower girl and ends up meeting a respected scholar.
What is the definition of "myth"?
A traditional story, passed down from generation to generation, that explains something in human life or in the world
Both excerpts, "The New Colossus" and "Refugee in America" speak of America as
A. inspiring immigrants to sing with joy.
B. inviting all people to come to its shores.
C. welcoming the destitute and oppressed.
D. being a place free of tyranny and injustice.
D. being a place free of tyranny and injustice.
What is Eliza Doolittle's occupation at the start of the play?
A. A maid
B. A flower girl
C. A shopkeeper
D. A singer
B. A flower girl
What is the Archetypal Criticism Theory?
Type of images, symbols, characters, settings, or patterns that are repeated and seen all throughout different types of literature.
In Part II of The Arrival, Shaun Tan portrays many ordinary objects as recognizable, yet strange in appearance. Through the illustrations of these unusual items, Tan is most likely communicating that
A. individuals displaced from their normal surroundings will feel intense anxiety and confusion.
B. a culture’s objects reflect that society’s values, whether it be time and efficiency or art and beauty.
C. individuals can sense emotions such as familiarity or isolation through the material objects around them.
D. all cultures have essentially the same material objects even though the objects’ appearances may differ.
C. individuals can sense emotions such as familiarity or isolation through the material objects around them.
What is the definition of 'archetype'?
Universal symbols (images, characters, motifs, or patterns) that recur in the myths, dreams oral traditions, songs, literature, and other texts of peoples widely separated by time and place
Read this section of "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazurus:
"The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
What does "the golden door" symbolize to the immigrants who have come to the United States?
The golden door represents freedom and hope to immigrants
What motivates Higgins to take on the challenge of transforming Eliza?
A. He is romantically interested in her
B. He wants to prove a point about class and language
C. He is paid by Colonel Pickering to do so
D. He wants to help Eliza escape poverty
B. He wants to prove a point about class and language
How can the Feminist Criticism Theory be applied to "Pygmalion and the Statue"?
The protagonist believes that women are considered as objects and wicked which reflects how women are inferior to men. This reflects the Feminist Criticism Theory as it challenges the way men and women are viewed and treated in society.
Which statement best explains the use of the undecipherable script in The Arrival from a cultural critical perspective?
A. One cannot assimilate into a new culture until language barriers are removed.
B. Foreign symbols are intentionally used to confound the immigrant and to deter him from acquiring the new language.
C. Language is a form of power, which a society uses to oppress those not part of the majority culture.
D. Readers must be linguistically excluded from the world of the protagonist to fully empathize with him.
C. Language is a form of power, which a society uses to oppress those not part of the majority culture.
In the novel, "The Arrival," what does the "pet" or "creature" that the protagonist has or comes across symbolize?
Comfort, guidance, adaptation, lucky charm
Read this section of "Refugee in America" by Langston Hughes:
"There are words like Liberty That almost make you cry. If you had known what I knew You would know why."
Why doesn't the speaker tell "what I knew?"
He might not say because it is too painful for him to talk about. The experiences he has gone through may imply that the reader can't understand what it's like
In George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, how does Eliza’s character gradually change over the course of the play?
A. At the beginning, Eliza has self-respect and independence, but both are taken from her when Higgins treats her unkindly; however, at the end of the play she regains her sense of self-worth.
B. At the beginning, Eliza has confidence in her abilities and her position in life; at the end of the play, she is even more confident of herself because of the new, educated appearance she can present.
C. At the beginning of the play, Eliza views herself as a good person and tries to persuade others of this; however, at the end of the play she calls herself ignorant, indicating she is no longer proud of her identity.
D. At the beginning of the play, Eliza views herself as someone who needs to change for other people; at the end of the play, she is proud of her accomplishments and the independence she has gained.
A. At the beginning, Eliza has self-respect and independence, but both are taken from her when Higgins treats her unkindly; however, at the end of the play she regains her sense of self-worth.
How can "Cultural Criticism Theory be applied to "The Arrival"?
This theory can be applied through the use of clothing, language, and behavior. Cultural Criticism Theory surrounds itself with how things are done within a society and how it plays a role in the story's plot.
In Part II of The Arrival, Tan shows the protagonist proceeding through customs. In this sequence of frames, the reader sees the customs officer’s hands and desk, but never his face. Which statement best analyzes this artistic decision through a cultural critical lens?
A. It communicates that the people within the protagonist’s new culture are inhospitable and unfriendly.
B. It demonstrates the inability of the protagonist to communicate with and understand the members of this strange culture.
C. It elevates the protagonist’s prominent role in the graphic novel by surrounding him with faceless characters in his new culture
D. It reveals that going through customs is an impersonal experience, emphasizing the cultural barrier between the protagonist and his new society.
D. It reveals that going through customs is an impersonal experience, emphasizing the cultural barrier between the protagonist and his new society.
What would be an example of a theme from "Pygmalion"?
A message/one sentence about conforming to society or language barrier or gender superiority
In the poem, "Refugee in America" by Langston Hughes, who is the refugee in America? How do you know?
A refugee is usually someone who has fled, often from their home country to a foreign country
Higgins refers to Eliza as "baggage" and "creature" during the play. How would a feminist critic interpret this language?
A. As evidence of romantic banter
B. As affectionate teasing
C. As objectifying and dehumanizing language
D. As neutral terms common in British dialect
C. As objectifying and dehumanizing language
How can Readers' Response Criticism Theory be applied to "Refugee in America"?
This theory can be applied by readers relating to being immigrants in America or any country. Being someone who has to experience what a new country is like and adapt to a new life and beginning is what it means to be a refugee.
How does Shaun Tan use imagery in The Arrival to show the challenges of adapting to a new country?
Shaun Tan uses imagery to show how strange and confusing a new country can feel to immigrants. The unfamiliar landscapes, unusual animals, and made-up language indicate the main character’s feelings of isolation and confusion
In "Pygmalion and the Statue," create a theme that includes either the word 'ego' or 'vanity'.
Answer varies
Read this section of "Pygmalion and the Statue" by Ovid:
"But, with wonderful skill, he carved a figure, brilliantly, out of snow-white ivory, no mortal woman, and fell in love with his own creation. The features are those of a real girl, who, you might think, lived, and wished to move, if modesty did not forbid it."
Which statement about Act I of Shaw’s Pygmalion best mirrors the way in which Ovid’s Pygmalion sees his statue?
A. Shaw implies that Higgins objectifies the flower girl not by loving her beauty but by viewing her as a fascinating project.
B. Shaw hints at the flower girl’s archetypal character by depicting her as helpless and exploited by everyone around her.
C. Shaw portrays the flower girl as possessing the potential for great beauty although she currently is unattractive and uncouth.
D. Shaw reveals that the flower girl is significant in the story primarily because Higgins, as the archetypal creative person, has created her.
A. Shaw implies that Higgins objectifies the flower girl not by loving her beauty but by viewing her as a fascinating project.
Why does Higgins take on the role/archetype of the "creator" or "transformer"? What's in it for him?
Higgins is someone that sees himself as a genius and takes pride in his ability to manipulate language and teaching Eliza is all about proving his dominance and control