In the context of the ongoing crisis in literary criticism, The Social Imperative reminds us that while literature will never by itself change the world, it remains a powerful tool and important actor in the ongoing struggle to imagine better ways to be human and free. Figuring the relationship between reader and text as a type of friendship, the book elaborates the social-psychological concept of schema to show that our multiple social contexts affect what we perceive and how we feel when we read. Championing and modeling a kind of close reading that attends to how literature reflects, promotes, and contests pervasive sociocultural ideas about race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, Paula M. L. Moya demonstrates the power of works of literature by writers such as Junot Diaz, Toni Morrison, and Helena Maria Viramontes to alter perceptions and reshape cultural imaginaries. Insofar as literary fiction is a unique form of engagement with weighty social problems, it matters not only which specific works of literature we read and teach, but also how we read them, and with whom. This is what constitutes the social imperative of literature.
Literary works often respond in some way to the society in which they were written, and most often (though not always) that response takes the form of criticism. Think about how this particular work depicts society. With what societal issues is it concerned? What seems to be the author’s attitude toward society? If you detect criticism, at whom or what is it directed? How do you think the author would like to see society changed? Where in the work do you see evidence of this? Does the work describe real events, or some that are strikingly similar to real events? Sources you might investigate include works (books and articles) of history or sociology that talk about the strengths, weaknesses, and changes occurring in the society during the period in which the work is set or the author lived, and critical works that emphasize the connection between the society and the work.
Contexts for Criticism books pdf file
DOWNLOAD: https://tinourl.com/2vG76A
2ff7e9595c
Comments