Lois Tyson discusses many theories in her book Critical Theory Today. Tyson said “Knowledge defines our relationship to the world, because it is what we see through.” He is saying that changing the lens will change the view as well as the viewer. A person who is constantly having bad events happen to him, such as his car being stolen and his house being robbed may believe the world has a cruel nature. People who haven’t experienced such things might think the world is beautiful. Tyson says it himself in the book: Some people see values and limitations in the world. Others do not. The second half of the quote is saying that the viewer sees the world completely differently from other people. They have different lenses because certain things are brought into sharp focus, while other things are blurred out. Trying on different pairs of glasses is one way to do this. Some glasses are designed to only show what is right in front, whereas others let you look further ahead. The people choose what and how they wish to view the world. The feminism can be explained by both the marxist and psychoanalytic lens. We can learn from new criticism why people understand and read the text in the manner they do. African Americans have many things in common with lesbians and gays. All three groups suffered from discrimination. Each lens has a unique message.
Tyson begins with a discussion of Psychoanalysis. Tyson (11), says that psychoanalytical criticism is “part of our daily lives …””. Understanding psychoanalysis is crucial because it allows us to better understand human behavior. It helps us better understand the reasons why people behave in certain ways. Childhood and adulthood experiences can have a profound effect on a person’s behavior. In psychoanalysis, the unconscious is a collection of painful emotions and experiences that we have stored in us. The psychoanalysis of Feminism can help us to understand how patriarchal ideas affect women and why men internalize them (Tyson, 94). The feminist criticism of literature explains how it reinforces economic, political and social oppression, as well as psychological oppression, for women. Psychoanalytical analysis shows that women are inferior to men in both economic and social terms. Tyson (Tyson, 281) explains that “Feminism” tries to show how patriarchal gender roles have a profound impact on our lives. Men are paid more for many jobs than women. The reason is that women are expected by society to clean the house, cook meals, and look after their children. The opposite is expected of men. Men are expected to bring home the money. Tyson says that feminists also use elements of psychoanalytic, Marxist and other critical theories in order to study issues relating to women’s experiences (Tyson 95).
Next Tyson discusses Marxism. Marxism refers to the economic power that is held by the government in areas like education, philosophy, religious beliefs, government, art, science, technology, media and other social and governmental activities (Tyson p. 53). Marxists view human history and productions through the lens of circumstances. Marxism is a major part of Feminism. Marxism has a strong connection with Feminism. Both groups view one group as superior and praise it. Marxist theory can be useful when examining women’s issues. Women were denied the right to vote before 1920 because people thought they were less intelligent than men. Women were not always able to attend school because they had to do housework. Their intelligence was therefore viewed with disdain. Also, women were abused and raped. The past and the way they were perceived made them useless. Many women are still treated with contempt today. The women still do not enjoy the same rights as men, including the type of job and salary.
Reading and writing about literature involves interpretations. Tyson explains that people’s interpretations are based upon their own past experiences. She says that historians also live in their own time and culture, and are affected in numerous ways, both conscious and unconsciously, by the experiences they have. It is up to the individual how they interpret a text. Texts can be interpreted in different ways. Sometimes they do not meet the expectations of the writer, while other times, the meaning is greater than the author had intended. Tyson claimed that “readers’ opinions and feelings about a book may be affected by past experiences more than the actual text” (Tyson 137). For instance, if someone is afraid heights, then they would not want to read a text that talked about skydiving and jumping from bungee cords. If a person is afraid of heights, they will not read a book about skydiving and bungee jumping. The text will appeal to someone who likes adrenaline-producing activities. It will have a purpose. In New Criticism, readers will use “close-reading” to carefully examine the text and interpret it. Marxist critics would be in agreement with the new criticism. These theories both explain that it is impossible to understand human thoughts and actions unless their past emotions and experiences are understood. One can better understand a character’s actions by looking at their past. The past is a major influence on a person’s thoughts and understandings in literature.
African American and lesbian and gay criticisms share a number of similarities. Many lesbians and gays are today afraid to express themselves. The reason is that they fear what their friends and family will think. Tyson claims that gay men, lesbians and bisexuals still face discrimination, whether it is in the military, when obtaining housing and jobs, or in public establishments like hotels and bars. They also face discrimination, for example, with regards to family law and the right to get married …”. These people may be looked upon with contempt at times. Many people believe queers, gays and lesbians are sick. In the 1800s, African Americans faced discrimination based on their race and color. Many African Americans were sold into slavery. African Americans were prohibited from drinking at the same fountains as other white people. The same was true for their schools. African American children were forced to walk to school every day, even though there were schools nearby. Colored people were denied the right to vote. The tests were very difficult and made no sense. They never passed. The purpose was to keep them from gaining any rights. African Americans could not sit in the same bus as white people. African Americans and lesbians, homosexuals, queers faced many of the same problems.
Lesbian critics are similar to feminists. Tyson says that both theories are based on the “same ground,” i.e., they have the same roots. The majority of lesbian critics identify as feminists due to their concern with personal identity and political issues. Lesbian criticism deals with issues related to heterosexism as well as sexism. Both lesbians and feminists have faced discrimination due to their sexual orientation. There are still some who have to deal with it today.
The visible and the invisible levels are both part of structuralism. The visible levels are the things, actions, and behaviors which we encounter every day. The invisible levels include structures that are used to organize all of the information so it makes sense. As an example: The English Language has more that one million different words. Different speakers will have different meanings for the words. Tyson claims that structuralists hold that structures “are created by the mind of the speaker, which can be thought of as a structuring system” (Tyson 211). How we perceive the world is not determined by how we view the structures. It is possible to compare two groups using a structuralist approach. Tyson says that structuralist principles can help us understand the similarities and differences between women of different cultures, as well as the oppression they face.
The two are quite similar. The new historicism tries to understand why something happened, and why people interpret the information. Tyson mentions the new historicists’ belief that we don’t have access to much more than basic facts in history (Tyson 283). New Historicism rejects the idea of New Criticism that information should be provided beyond history. Tyson uses the example of a writer’s background to demonstrate this. Tyson (Tyson 285) shares the belief that culture and human history are one. Both theories hold that our human experience doesn’t provide any more information.
Each theory leads to a new theory. For a person to fully understand a theory, they first need to grasp another theory. All theories are defined by each other. Some theories might agree, but others may disagree. Both theories have similarities and differentiating factors when viewed from the various lenses. Each person’s perception of each theory based on the past is different. Their experiences in the past influence how they understand literature. Not everyone will interpret the message the author intended. I am more knowledgeable about each theory now that I’ve read Tyson’s Critical Theory Today.
