Literary Analysis: Key Concepts & Classic Works

Featured Literary Works & Authors

• The Story of Prometheus – James Baldwin
• “The House of Asterion” – Jorge Luis Borges
• “Ariadne Sends a Message” – Margaret Atwood
• Midas – Stephen Fry
• “The Cask of Amontillado” – Edgar Allan Poe (Gothic)
• “The Raven” – Edgar Allan Poe (Gothic)
• “Porphyria's Lover” – Robert Browning (Gothic)
• “The Most Dangerous Game” – Richard Connell

Literary Criticism Styles

Close reading relies on deep analysis of text.

Death of the Author

This theory posits that the meaning of a work of art resides solely within the art itself and the audience's interpretation. The reader's understanding is paramount, and connections to the author's background or personal life are considered irrelevant.

New Historicism

In contrast, New Historicism emphasizes that all art must be understood within its historical context. When interpreting a work, one must consider the author's intent, experiences, and biography, as well as the broader historical period.

Understanding Myth in Literature

A myth is a narrative genre comprising stories that play a significant role in the traditions and beliefs of a society, community, or culture. Myths were often communicated and exchanged within early civilizations to explain natural or social phenomena.

Literary scholars read myths to understand their literary qualities and artifacts.

Prometheus: Values & Expectations

• Social Values: Power must be taken from the corrupt; good intentions can lead to negative results; intelligence and power are a double-edged sword.
• Natural Expectations: Creation of women (Pandora); human acquisition of fire.

The Minotaur & Asterion

• Minotaur Natural Expectations: Constellations (Ariadne’s Crown).
• Minotaur Social Values: What makes a male hero (e.g., powerful, capable of mistreating women, violent towards monsters/villains); characteristics like persuasiveness, cunning, confidence, and fearlessness.

Asterion's Character (from “The House of Asterion”)

• Highly educated.
• Prefers to be alone.
• Is an unreliable narrator.
• Considers himself royalty.
• Does not understand why people are afraid of him.
• Lacks social skills and struggles to interpret others' reactions.

Margaret Atwood's Works

Margaret Atwood's writings span a wide range of genres, from speculative fiction to historical fiction.

Speculative Fiction Subgenres

• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Dystopian Literature

“Ariadne Sends a Message”

In this work, Atwood imagines Ariadne as an accomplice to the Minotaur, seeking to defy her father and Theseus. Told from a first-person perspective, the narrative reveals Ariadne and her brother's plan to kill their father, the king.

Gothic Literature

The Gothic movement emerged in the late 1700s, often as a response to the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. It focuses on the supernatural and terror.

Key Characteristics of Gothic Literature

• Setting: Often set in manors, castles, or isolated houses. Features sublime natural environments like isolated villages, foreign towns, cliffs, and wilderness.
• Dreams, Omens, Nightmares: Blends reality with visions, dreams, and hallucinations.
• Heightened Emotion: Elements of paranoia, fear, and even insanity.
• Monsters: Supernatural or grotesque characters threaten the plot's protagonists.

Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Gothic Horror

Edgar Allan Poe (1800s) was an American writer, poet, and editor who popularized Gothic Horror in the U.S., primarily through his short stories. He was one of the first Americans to attempt to live solely by writing. His success and stability were constantly challenged by alcoholism, gambling addictions, and mental health problems. Poe is largely known for his gothic tales, which were both celebrated and criticized in his time. He is also credited as the creator of the detective fiction genre.

Fortunato in “The Cask of Amontillado”

The narrator, Montresor, is unreliable. The direct address to “you” implicates the reader and raises questions of reliability.

Fortunato is presented as a respected and feared figure, suggesting success, power, and a good reputation. He might be a lord who rose to power, wealthy, and possesses good taste in wine. His appreciation for wine indicates disposable income, frequent social occasions, and a wide circle of acquaintances.

W.B. Yeats and Irish Folklore

W.B. Yeats's poem “The Stolen Child” draws heavily on Irish folklore and mythology. Yeats blended Irish mythology, mysticism, and modernist themes, influencing generations of poets to the present day.

Robert Browning: “Porphyria's Lover”

Dramatic Monologue

A type of poem written in the form of a speech from a character. Dramatic monologues often employ ironic distance, where the reader is aware of something the narrator cannot or refuses to acknowledge. Browning was particularly interested in the criminally insane.

Poem Summary

“Porphyria’s Lover” is a dramatic monologue that tells the chilling story of a man who murders his lover, Porphyria, to preserve a perfect moment of love. In a moment of passion and obsession, he decides to "preserve" their love by strangling her with her own hair. After killing her, he props her body up, convinced that she feels no pain and that she is finally his forever. The poem ends with him sitting beside her lifeless body, remarking that God has not yet punished him for his crime.

Possible relationship dynamics include sex worker/client or a former relationship.

Richard Connell: “The Most Dangerous Game”

Richard Connell, a New Yorker and WWI veteran, worked as a journalist before enlisting. After the war, he wrote short stories and plays.

Context: Big-Game Hunting

Big-game hunting was popular and legal in the U.S., involving the pursuit of rare, large, endangered, or dangerous animals like rhinos. The hunting craze peaked during the 1920s, when hunting in Africa and South America was seen as a sign of wealth and sophistication among the elite.

Character Insights

• When Rainsford states that the world is made of hunters and huntees, it reveals his close-minded perspective on animals and the world, foreshadowing future events.
• General Zaroff kills humans and is bigoted against all races, including poor whites.

Key Literary Takeaways

• The Gothic: A literary movement responding to the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions, beginning in the late 1700s, focusing on the supernatural and terror.
• “The Cask of Amontillado” as Gothic: The setting is a primary element contributing to its Gothic nature.
• Literary Criticism Styles: Death of the Author and New Historicism.
• Myths: Explain natural or social phenomena.
• Historical Context of Gothic Literature: A reaction against the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions.