Importance of Critical Theory - Essay Example

Importance of Critical Theory Introduction The book Critical Theory Today written by Lois Tyson suggests that the critical theory ought to help individuals in learning to see themselves and the world in valuable ways. Tyson considers a variety of theoretical approaches starting with the theoretical lens of psychoanalytic criticism. A key premise of the approach, however, focuses on the unconscious process of the cognitive perception that ought to reveal the character's inner experiences and life. The theory explains the extent to which individuals repressed desire and how their unresolved emotional distress results to motivation in a character action above the presumed obstacles, resolutions and conflicts. In her work, Lois attempts to distill the basic tenets of a variety of many different contexts in examining the work. Lois re-examines F. Fitzgeralds work “the great Gatsby” in analyzing the critical theory better. Critical theory ought to define the reader response theory as ways in which a reader reacts to literal works but unlike other theories, it does not focus much on the context, form or the owner of the work. The theory, however, defines the notion that the degree that the text needs to be understood. A person can understand a book in two ways; the first is from its outward meaning and the second is from the words that construct the book. With notable expectations, most of the theoretical writings in the field try to express their views to individuals filled with verbiage, hence assuming a level of familiarity that most people lack. However, some of the writing is not coherent with the love for literature, let alone the daily life that we live. Critical theory is, however, necessary in allowing individuals to have abstract thoughts and the intellectual realm in which impress each other by using theoretical jargon. Thus, critical theory is essential in allowing individuals see themselves and the world in valuable and productive ways that are of benefit to the society and us (Lois 13). Critical theory Analysis The focus of literal context “has changed over the years to the extent that now among many contemporary theorists; the author is not considered a meaningful object of analysis” (Hodder 65). Rather critical theory focuses more on the reader, rhetorical, ideological as well as the aesthetic value of a particular text. The culture in which the text is produced in is often an important aspect. Understanding critical theory is very beneficial. Theory will help individuals to see themselves in important contexts. Contexts that will influence how parents and teachers should educate children, how television should be viewed in terms of being educative and beneficial, as well as how individuals will behave when voting or purchasing for commodities. Theory is also essential to determine ways in, which individuals react to others whom they do not agree in terms of political, social and religious issues (Hodder 65). Theories The psychoanalytic criticism explains that human behavior and conflicts are mostly because of internal factors that originate from the early developmental stages. Marxist criticism assumes that the external, socio-economic forces function in molding and reinforcing the beliefs and personality traits of individuals (Paul 27). However, the psychological reader response approach puts its focuses on the idea that the reader interpretation of a literal text ought to reveal more about the individuals than it should about the context. The theories assume that the assimilation of knowledge to be a subjective process. The feminist theory analyses the idea of the women’s liberation as a public movement that rose due to the continual strife in social change, in the United States with emphasizes on freedom (Marcelo 219). On the other hand, the transactional theory assumes that context becomes a stimulus that a reader can interpret and derive meaning basing on their expectations and feeling such that they can engage in the context on aesthetic, personal or efferent and intellectual points. Affective theory focuses on the cognitive process of the reader in deciphering the meaning of literature as it occurs from one moment to another. The subjective theory differentiates between the real things in suggesting our perceived interpretation of their symbolic meaning. Thus, critical theories are very crucial to help put value to ourselves as well as the world (Lois 43). Critical theory explores human production such as film, art, music, technology, architecture and science as the out growers of human experience. Thus, by reflecting on the human desires, potentials and conflicts, it is possible to learn and interpret the productions in learning about ourselves as a species. Critical theory provides excellent tools for the endeavors and tools that show our world and us through the provision of new and valuable lenses. It is also essential in strengthening the ability of thinking logically, creatively and with insight to provide value to our lives by taking each text “as a new pair of lenses that certain elements of the world are brought into focus and others fade into the background” (Paul 36). As a result, a paradox of learning and seeing in understanding some things, we, therefore, have to put the focus in a way that need to highlight key elements and ignore others. An example is religion and science. They both provide conflicting results that explain the same phenomena, hence the need to focus our aim to different dimensions, in accordance to our own past. Critical theories provide methodologies of viewing the world differently. However, the theories “compete with one another for dominance in the educational and cultural communities with each offering the most accurate means in understanding human experience.” Therefore, critical theory is essential in exploring human production as well as reflecting on the human desires, potentials and conflicts. It is also important in strengthening the ability to be creative, think logically and providing insight to our lives (Fitzgerald 73). Critical theory increases the appreciation of literature. Individuals experience in life is a good determinant of their capability to explore literature. That is if they want to grow their understanding capacity of theory, and want to have a broader view of the theory that is deeper. They can combine it with experience together with the world of ideas, thus making them to be in a position that they can appreciate the rich dense, varied texture and valuable meanings that are available in the literal work. Thus, critical theory is very essential in helping us have an understanding of our world and ourselves from a different dimension. The Great Gatsby is an enjoyable and great work that lends itself well to the critical theories. It is crucial to determine the strengths and limitations of the critical theories employed as individual increase their abilities in their lives. There are different theoretical interpretations of the critical theories in the book The Great Gatsby. Similar literal work can create different understanding of the text by concentrating on different parts and characters of the plot as well as creating different perspectives of the same events and characters. However, theories tend to overlap producing compatible events of the same text. In the book, Marxism focuses on socioeconomic considerations underlying human behavior and does not exclude psychological domains of human knowledge (Marcelo 221). Importantly, when it talks about human psychology, it will do so in an effort of demonstrating how psychological experience is a result of socio-economic factors rather than psychoanalysis. Similarly, the feminist context ought to draw on the Marxist and psychoanalytic concept using in illustrating the feminist concerns. I.e. in examining the ways in which women socioeconomically and psychologically oppressed. Using the same, theory, however, does not mean that the result of the literal work will be similar. Thus, critical theories are important for increasing the appreciation to literature by increasing the understanding capabilities of the theory. It is very essential in helping us have an understanding of our world and ourselves from different dimensions as illustrated in the book The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald 84). Conclusion Critical theories try to explain literature text and context to the readers, their meaning, production designs as well as their beauty. Critics tend to look for problems from one another’s interpretation in more ways than the literal work tries to bring it. Unlike the movie critics and reviewers of books that tell us, whether we need to see films or read books, critical theories and literally critics spend more of their time in explaining rather than evaluating. The theories are, therefore, very important is assessing the aesthetic qualities of the literal work. Thus, we need to use critical theories with an aim to bring change, which will make the world a better place, example of such theories is feminism, Marxism and post-colonial criticism theories. Sometimes, literary work can be flawed because of its inadvertent promotion. However, even in such cases, the flawed work is still has value and is useful in understanding how the repressive ideologies operate. Theory will help individuals to see themselves in important contexts and will help them learn to see themselves and their world in new ways. Work citied Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby, New York: Macmillan, 2013 print. Hodder, Ian. Archaeological Theory Today. N. p., 2012. Print. Lois Tyson. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide Routledge Amazon.com (2012) Marcelo, G. “Recognition and Critical Theory Today: An Interview with Axel Honneth.” Philosophy & Social Criticism 39 (2013): 209–221. Paul, Richard. “The State of Critical Thinking Today.” New Directions for Community Colleges 2005 (2005): 27–38.  Read More