Current literary trends are not far from those implemented by book publishers a few years ago. While there are several means to analyze a literary piece, the use of technological devices, even the adaptation of books to movies, needs to be considered.

So, is there a new trend in literary and cultural criticism?

As literature expands to include present entertainment, marketing, movies, computers and the internet, many academics felt it was best for a new kind of literary criticism.

Cultural studies takes a literary piece and analyzes it from a cultural perspective. This type of criticism can’t be considered as a new trend since it’s been around since the 1990s. Feminism, media studies, philosophy of language, gender studies and Marxism can be all considered to be part of this literary criticism.

The study takes one of the said parts and uses it to evaluate the ideas and techniques in the text. Using Marxism decodes the truth hidden in the text. It can describe the society during the time the piece was written.

Feminism is another method you can use in cultural studies. Just like with Marxism, it helps tell something about the period in which the literary piece was written. It analyzes the characterization of women included in the story.

Ways to analyze literature

Literary criticism evaluates, analyzes and interprets a piece of literature. It describes how it moved the reader by understanding what the author is trying to say, the belief behind it, and the period during the time of writing,

Literary critics analyze literature in five ways:

Readers-response criticisms assess the reader and literature’s interaction. The critic considers the reader’s reaction to the literary piece. It believes that the text itself has meaning via its interaction with the reader.

Post-colonial criticism considers the many lenses by which a literature can be evaluated. It considers politics, power, culture, language and religion.

New historicism considers the time period in which the literature was written. It believes that literature reflects the time and place when it was written.

Feminist criticism analyzes text on how women are portrayed in literature. It examines the political, social, and economic subjugation of women in society.

Deconstruction theory has similarities with readers-response. It removes the author as the authoritative voice and analyzes the deeper meaning of the piece in society.

Functions of Literary Criticism

In the new trend of literary and cultural criticism, the above mentioned ways can still be used. Cultural studies are concerned with the period in which the work was presented. It says something about the writer’s environment, considering it as a factor for its development. This practice helps us understand the culture to which a work belongs.

But why do we need to analyze literature?

We analyze literature to understand, know the philosophy behind it, discover the period it was created, and help develop writing skills with the discovered ideas. This can help new writers to develop their skills, especially as their numbers grow. This is true especially with new ways to publish work online.

It would make sense to continue asking is there a new trend in literary and cultural criticism. This will help you understand today’s literature, encourage reading, and even develop writing skills. It will, in its own way, shape future literature as well.