the lenses of literature

I liked the lesson we did today in lit about all the different viewpoints of literature. Not only did it help me, but it was also actually really interesting. I always wondered how a literary critic started talking or analyzing a novel. I wouldn't know where to start! It makes much more sense that people take a standpoint or look into a certain 'lens' of literature.

The theories I liked most, or agreed with the most, was the psychological theory and the formalism theory. I think these are the ones I am most used to, but they are the ones that make the most logical sense to me. I think to truly understand a novel, you should analyze the tone, setting, plot, and symbols, which, to me, are the most important parts of a novel. I also think it is important to focus on characterization and to sort of 'psycho-analyze' the characters of a novel, in order to discover the motivations, mental states, and desires of that character. The best stories to me, are the ones that focus on characters and really make them realistic. Take, for example, The Office. Each and every character can be related to and at least one time during the show, you can relate to a character. That is what makes the show so much fun. The idea of a show about an office isn't that exciting, but the fact that the characters are so real makes it interesting and fun to watch.