Literary Criticism Handout for Yukio Mishima’s “Patriotism” Background Information: as college readers, we are expected to analyze literature throughout our educational careers. There are many types of literary criticism, including Feminist Criticism, New Historicism, and Psychoanalytic Criticism. An effective entry will focus only on one idea from the literary criticism. You choose one idea from the left column to develop the right column. Methodological Tools Plot Point in Story Literary Criticism 1. Feminist Literary Criticism a. Is there an unequal balance of power between males and females in the text? b. How are the images of females portrayed? c. How are the images of males portrayed? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 2. New Historicism a. We can look at a text as a historical document. b. Here is some important terminology for criticism: traditions, customs, beliefs, prejudices and taboos. __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ The 3. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism a. important terminology for criticism: repression- an individual’s impulses and instinctual desires are blocked from entering one’s conscious. manifest-display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate. latent-existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed. id-passionate part of our personality ego-part of our personality that we show society superego-the very, very practical part of our personalities __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Literary Criticism Handout for Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Hell-Heaven” Background Information: as college readers, we are expected to analyze literature throughout our educational careers. There are many types of literary criticism, including Feminist Criticism, New Historicism, and Psychoanalytic Criticism. An effective entry will focus only on one idea from the literary criticism. You choose one idea from the left column to develop the right column. Methodological Tools Plot Point in Story Literary Criticism 1. Feminist Literary Criticism a. Is there an unequal balance of power between males and females in the text? b. How are the images of females portrayed? c. How are the images of males portrayed? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 2. New Historicism a. We can look at a text as a historical document. b. Here is some important terminology for criticism: traditions, customs, beliefs, prejudices and taboos. __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ The 3. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism a. important terminology for criticism: repression- an individual’s impulses and instinctual desires are blocked from entering one’s conscious. manifest-display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate. latent-existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed. id-passionate part of our personality ego-part of our personality that we show society superego-the very, very practical part of our personalities __________________________ __________________________ __________________________
 

Methodological Tools

Plot Point in Story

Literary Criticism

1. Feminist Literary Criticism

a. Is there an unequal balance of power between males and females in the text?  b.  How are the images of females portrayed? c. How are the images of males portrayed?

Women are loyally devoted to their men and would give their lives because their husband returns home safe and sound. Men are perceived to be stronger and endure a war, while woman take a secondary role.

In one scene.  Shinji explains the duties of a soldier’s wife. Reiko should know that a soldier duties come first. Reiko and Shinji have a happy marriage where both are willing to give their lives for the other.

In this story, women play a transcendental role of protagonism and accompaniment of their husbands, women are standing on the front lines and fighting for their family and for their lives.  Reiko was a good help for her husband in order to find happiness and the answers of his life.

2. New Historicism

a. We can look at a text as a historical document.

b. Here is some important terminology for criticism: traditions, customs, beliefs, prejudices

and taboos.

Shinji beliefs determine his actions and his enemies.   

In one scene, Shinji explains that his friends are now rebels so his task is to kill them. He also says that he can never do something like that.

Shinji has to fight between his customs and his beliefs. His customs could be that he trained to serve his country and the only thing he knows to do is being in a war. Shinji also has his personal life with his wife and friends. His work was mixed with his life and he had to face a reality where if he do what he has to do, he must kill the ones that he loves.  Shinji faced a great dilemma. That’s why he wanted to kill himself. He could not stand the reality.

The 3. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism

a. important terminology for criticism:

repression- an individual’s impulses and instinctual desires are blocked from entering one’s conscious. 

manifest-display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate.

latent-existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.

id-passionate part of our personality

ego-part of our personality that we show society

superego-the very, very practical part of our personalities

Shinji proved to be a thoughtful person, in an atmosphere of war and desolation, he was looking for the beauty of the situation. His feeling of patriotism was always latent.

In one scene, Shinji is bathing and shaving and reflecting on the pureness of the truth and recognizing his face as the face of a dead man. He also reflects that Reiko is the person he loves most in the world.

Shinji shows feelings of happiness and security when he is with Reiko, he knows that he is who he is, thanks to his wife. Shinji also places all his trust in his wife, even for her death. Shinji and Reiko have a great passion for fighting against the enemy and for their country.

Methodological Tools

Plot Point in Story

Literary Criticism

1. Feminist Literary Criticism

a. Is there an unequal balance of power between males and females in the text?  b.  How are the images of females portrayed? c. How are the images of males portrayed?

There is an unequal balance of power since the mother, whom pranab called “boudi” was a housewife and her husband was a scientist.   The husband was in love with his work while the wife dedicates herself to the home.   

At the beginning o f the story, the author tells us that woman, who Pranab called “Boudi”, liked to go to the shop and saw things to buy to her house which shows that she was a dedicated housewife.  Boudi’s husband appears as a hard-worker who loves his job.

There is an unequal balance of power.

The mother is always seen in the kitchen  and always serving all the men of her  family. While her husband is working. Also Pranab wants to be served.  This shows the ideology that everyone had in previous times, where the mother was the housewife and the husband was the one who worked to maintain the home.

2. New Historicism

a. We can look at a text as a historical document.

b. Here is some important terminology for criticism: traditions, customs, beliefs, prejudices

and taboos.

Throughout history, Boudi and Pranab find that they share similar beliefs such as love for film, music, politics and poetry.

In one scene, Boudi and Pranab realize that they are from the same neighborhood and that they had a lot of things in common such as similar conceptions of life and also similar hobbies.

Boudi and Pranab shared the same beliefs, they had the same traditions, they knew the same places and discussed about different topics with a lot of passion. This made Boudi to fall in love with Pranab. Boudi did not feel the same about her husband because they were not from the same places and had different points of view in their life so having so much things in common, made her to be in love with Pranab.

The 3. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism

a. important terminology for criticism:

repression- an individual’s impulses and instinctual desires are blocked from entering one’s conscious. 

manifest-display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; demonstrate.

latent-existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.

id-passionate part of our personality

ego-part of our personality that we show society

superego-the very, very practical part of our personalities

Boudi’s personality changed when Pranab joined her life, she showed feelings of happiness , although, with her husband, she felt repressed in a marriage that was for mutual convenience.

In one scene, Boudi’s son explains that his mother felt needed and wooed with Pranab, it is a feeling that Boudi never felt , even with her husband.

Boudi’s life changed when she found someone with whom she felt like a real woman, feelings appeared in her that she had not had for many years and that she had never had with her husband. Boudi felt a liberation since, in her marriage, she never had a good communication with her husband.  The opposite happened with Pranab, their conversations were full of passion and joy.  That was the main  factor that produced a change on Boudi’s mind.