In the book called Critical Theory Today, written by Lois Tyson, she talks about many different theories. When Tyson says, "Knowledge is what constitutes our relationship with our world because it is the lens through which we see our world. Change the lens and you change both the vision and the viewer," he is saying that based on knowledge of each person, they see the world differently than others. For example; someone who keeps having bad things happen to him like having his car stolen or his house stolen will think that the world is cruel. A person who has had none of this happen to him might think the world is a beautiful place. As Tyson also mentions in the book, some people see the values of the world while others only see its limitations. The second part of the quote means that the viewer has a completely different vision than others because he sees the world differently than others. Their focus is different because they bring some things into focus while blurring others. An example of this would be trying on different glasses. Some glasses focus on nearby things, allowing you to see only what is in front of you, while other glasses allow you to see things far ahead. People choose what they want to see and how they see it. Looking through the psychoanalytic and Marxist lens, feminism is explained through both lenses. The new criticism teaches us why people read and understand text the way they do. African Americans share many similarities with lesbians, gays, and queers. All these groups have suffered a lot of discrimination. Each lens sends a different message to each reader. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first topic Tyson talks about is psychoanalysis. He states that psychoanalytic criticism has “become part of our daily lives…” (Tyson 11). Psychoanalysis is important to understand because it helps us understand human behaviors. It helps us understand why a person behaves that way. Things that can influence the way they are would be their past experiences from their childhood and adulthood. The unconscious, or the painful experiences and emotions stored within us, plays an important role in psychoanalysis. When it comes to feminism, psychoanalysis “can be used to help us understand the psychological effects of patriarchal ideology and why women and men internalize it” (Tyson 94). Feminist criticism explains the ways in which literature reinforces the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women. Looking through the psychoanalytic lens, women are inferior to men both economically and socially. “Feminism “attempts to reveal the ways in which patriarchal gender roles are the ultimate source of our experience,” explains Tyson (Tyson 281). Many jobs pay men more than women. This is because women are expected to stay at home, clean, cook and take care of children. The opposite is expected for men. They are seen as the only ones who should bring the money home. Tyson further states that “many feminists draw on elements of psychoanalytic and Marxist theory as well as other critical theories because they find them useful in examining issues relevant to women's experience (Tyson 94). Next Tyson talks about Marxism. Marxism means having and maintaining economic power when it comes to social and political activities such as education, philosophy, religion, government, the arts, science, technology, and the media (Tyson 53). When it comes to looking through the Marxist lens, human events and productionshuman events cannot be understood without understanding the circumstances in which events occur. Feminism is based heavily on Marxism. Marxism and feminism are linked because both groups praise or favor one side and see it as greater or better than the other. Marxist theory is useful for examining issues relevant to women's experience. Before the 1920s, women could not vote because many people believed that they were not as intelligent as men. Since women stayed at home to do housework, they could not always go to school. Therefore, they were despised for their intelligence. Women also suffered abuse and rape. They were seen as useless because of their past and who they are. Today many women are still looked down upon. They still have certain gender roles and don't have all the things men do, like types of jobs and salaries. The new criticism involves our interpretations when we read and write literature. Tyson states that each person's interpretations of a text are based on their past experiences. He further states that "like all human beings, historians live in a particular time and place, and their opinions about current and past events are influenced in countless conscious and unconscious ways by their own experience within their own culture" ( Tyson 137). The author may have intended a different interpretation for the readers than they actually are interpreting. How a person interprets the text is based on their own decision. Sometimes the text is not up to the author's standards, however, sometimes it has more meaning than the author intended it to have. Tyson stated that “readers' feelings or opinions about a text may be produced by some personal associations arising from past experiences rather than from the text” (Tyson 137). For example: if one is afraid of heights, he will not be interested in reading a book that talks about skydiving and bungee jumping. While reading the text, that person will be disinterested and may think that it is not a very smart idea to do those activities. On the other hand, those who love activities that involve adrenaline will be interested in the text. They will find some kind of purpose in it. When it comes to New Criticism, readers use “close reading” by carefully examining the text to interpret it. A Marxist critic would agree with the new criticism. Both of these theories explain that human actions and thoughts cannot be understood if their past experiences and emotions are not understood. When you look into a person's past, you get a clearer picture of why they behave the way they do. In literature, a person's understandings and thoughts are all based on things that have happened to them in the past. African American criticism and lesbian, gay, and queer criticism all have some things in common. When it comes to lesbians, gays and queers, many of them today are afraid to come out and express themselves. This is because they are afraid of what those around them will think of them or what they will say. Tyson states that “gay men and lesbians in America today still face discrimination in the military; in obtaining jobs and housing; in the use of public facilities, such as hotels and taverns; in areas of family law such as the right to marry…” (Tyson 320). These types of people are sometimes looked down upon. Some people think that gays, lesbians and queers are sick and evil. In the 1800s, African Americans were discriminated against because of their color and race. Many were enslaved. African Americans were not allowed to drink from the same drinking fountains as whites. They also couldn't go to the same schools. The children..
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