Textual Reading: Chapter Six: Class 12 Opt. English
What is Text in literature? What do you mean by formalistic perspective?
Text in literature refers to any written work, including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and essays. It is the written form of a literary work that conveys meaning and can be analyzed and interpreted by the reader.
Literary texts often explore different themes, characters, settings, and narrative structures to engage the reader and convey a message or idea. Literary texts can be studied in terms of literary devices, writing styles, and deeper meanings, allowing readers to analyze and appreciate the artistry and ingenuity of writing.
Formalistic Perspective:
The Formalist perspective, also known as New Criticism, is a literary theory that focuses on in-depth analysis of the text itself rather than considering external factors such as author background or historical context.
It emphasizes the formal elements of literature, such as structure, language, symbols, images, and style, to derive meaning and interpret the work.
Critics of formalism believe that the text is a self-contained entity with its own internal coherence and unity. They argue that the meaning of a literary work is not determined by the author’s intentions or the subjective interpretation of the reader, but by how it is structured and organized.
Formal analysis often involves examining a text’s plot, characters, setting, perspective, and other elements to uncover patterns and connections. For example, formalist critics might analyze the use of repetitive motifs or symbols in a novel or the use of rhythm and rhythm in a poem. They also pay attention to the language and style of the text, looking for patterns of repetition, irony, ambiguity, or other literary tricks.
The formalist perspective in literature emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction against biographical and historical criticism, which focused on the author’s life and the socio-cultural context of the work. Formalism seeks to refocus attention on the text itself, arguing that the meaning of a literary work is inherent in its form and structure.