New criticism essay

Grace Lear Ms. Joan Richmond English 2261 17 Feb. 2013 wise Criticism A Focused Summary New criticism is a type of literary theory that focuses on the close reading of literature and how the literature functions as the object its meant to be. No external influences are to be taken into consideration, stringently the writing itself. This movement emphasizes the text in literature and explains the writers meat to the reader. The authors intention, excluding historical and cultural context is taken into consideration for analysis.When reading as a New Critic its important to separate emotion and the literal text used by the author, which can be hard to do. button up reading is something used by New Critics to bring out the straightforward and uncontroversial approach to understanding literature. Terms like paradox, ambiguity, irony, and tension help notice down the story in different ways to understand the meaning new critics expect. These terms also show a conservative side to New Criticism taking away the controversial, external, social issues like race, gender and class.New criticism is sometimes looked at as the scientific approach to reading literature compared to otherwise theories. In order to analyze in a new critic way its important to take notice of the terms above and the literal meaning of the setting, plot and theme. The subject and the object of the story should be separated and stable in mind while readers analyze in this type of theory. The focus should be literal not emotional and bring out the social function and effect of the literature the writer makes.The application of this theory, New Criticism can be shown by means of the story A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. The title A Rose for Emily could symbolize death. This also could also symbolize her oppressed, sad life cod to her father, possibly meaning she was dead before she actually died (437). The man himself lay in the bed what was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of t he nightshirt, had become unresolvable from the bed in which he lay (Faulkner). This connects to the on release theme of an honest-to-goodness generation struggling to keep its place in this modern era.The tension amid the past and the present or two generations is seen in the background of this story. Emilys house was called a stubborn and coquettish decay compared to the gasoline pumps next to her house. The older generation of the town took care of Miss Emily in respects to her father (who donated money to the city). A sort of hereditary obligation, until the new generation mayors and aldermen anticipate taxes from her (Faulkner). There are some flashbacks to the past, which create images of death in her past specifically her fathers death.Is it ironic she doesnt want to believe hes dead? She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days with ministers calling on her and the doctors trying to persuade her(Faulkner) This could possibly mean the past isnt order to let go of a new coming era, an ongoing theme shown throughout this story. The description of her home, old furniture, dusty rooms, and dark shadowy halls are stunning details. The smell of her home due to dead bodies is so bad towns people come by to drop lime through her basement windows.These all reach out an eerie, dirty image and mood for the story. The gesture of why wouldnt she put postal numbers on her house is her almost refusing new society that spurned her right back. Her characteristics steady show stubbornness, isolation and rejection. The main point of the story is to show the comparisons between the old days and the new and tensions between them are shown through Emilys sad life. Another story that can be used to explain New Criticism would be Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway in the use of characters, symbolism and conflict.In the story the only character that is referred to as the American is the male protagonist. He is distant from her on an emotional level and create what he thinks would be a resolution to a problem he clearly cares nothing about. The other character is a non-English speaking waitress who is deep in her own but is indecisive and afraid to say what she wants. These characters create tension throughout the story. The symbolism is started in the title Hills like White Elephants making readers question the comparison between the two.The White Elephant is the burden and decision of the unborn baby. They look like White Elephants (Hemingway). The waitress is talking about the hills but later deciding they didnt look like elephants, which could lead to her indecisiveness about what to do with the baby. The setting of the story is at a train station, which creates theme and symbol. The train tracks going in different directions are the crossroads of their relationship on their decision of what to do with the unborn baby. She comments on the hills being beautiful and the country being embrown or dry