Texts and Contexts teaches you how to write about literature by considering how readers behave and what assumptions they might make while interacting with literary text. The authors cover literary theory as well as provide overviews of literature and examples of how to write about them.

Table of Contents:
BRIEF CONTENTS 1. An Introduction, Theoretically 2. Critical Words: A Selective Tour 3. Unifying the Work: New Criticism 4. Creating the Text: Reader-Response Criticism 5. Opening Up the Text: Structuralism and Deconstruction 6. Connecting the Text: Historical and New Historical Criticism 7. Minding the Work: Psychological Criticism 8. Gendering the Text: Feminist Criticism, Post-feminism, and Queer Theory COMPREHENSIVE CONTENTS 1. An Introduction, Theoretically Textual Tours Checking Some Baggage "Is There One Correct Interpretation of a Literary Work?" "So, Are All Opinions About Literature Equally Valid? Anything to Declare? Theory Enables Practice You Already Have a Theoretical Stance This is an Introduction Here's the Plan Works Cited and Recommended Further Reading 2. Critical Worlds: A Selective Tour Brendan Gill, from Here at "The New Yorker" New Criticism Reader-Response Criticism Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism Historical, Postcolonial, and Cultural Studies Psychological Criticism Political Criticism Other Approaches Works Cited and Recommended Further Reading 3. Unifying the Work: New Criticism The Purpose of New Criticism Basic Principles Reflected Archibald MacLeish, "Ars Poetica" Radicals in Tweed Jackets How to Do New Criticism Film and Other Genres The Writing Process: A Sample Essay Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Mother" Preparing to Write Shaping Drafting Practicing New Criticism Stephen Shu-ning Liu, "My Father's Martial Art" Questions Ben Jonson, "On My First Son" Questions The Parable of the Prodigal Son Questions Useful Terms for New Criticism Checklist for New Criticism Works Cited Recommended Further Reading 4. Creating the Text: Reader-Response Criticism The Purpose of Reader-Response Criticism New Criticism as the Old Criticism The Reader Emerges Hypertextual Readers How to Do Reader-Response Criticism Preparing to Respond Sandra Cisneros, "Love Poem #1" Making Sense Subjective Response Receptive Response The Writing Process: A Sample Essay Preparing to Respond Ernest Hemingway, A Very Short Story Preparing to Write Shaping Drafting Practicing Reader-Response Criticism Michael Drayton, "Since There's No Help" Questions Judith Minty, Killing the Bear Questions Tom Wayman, "Did I Miss Anything?" Questions A. Williams "deep as space" Questions Useful Terms for Reader-Response Criticism Checklist: Using Reader-Response Criticism Works Cited Recommended Further Reading 5. Opening Up the Text: Structuralism and Deconstruction The Purposes of Structuralism and Deconstruction Structuralism and Semiotics Poststructuralism and Deconstruction How to Do Structuralism and Deconstruction William Butler Yeats, "Sailing to Byzantium" The Writing Process: A Sample Essay Amy Clampitt, "Discovery" Preparing to Write Shaping Drafting Practicing Structuralist and Deconstructive Criticism Questions Cut through the anxiety, the unknown, the hassle . . . William Blake, "London" Questions Linda Pastan, "Ethics" Questions John Donne, "Death Be Not Proud" Questions Useful Terms for Deconstruction Checklist for Deconstruction Works Cited Recommended Further Reading 6. Connecting the Text: Historical and New Historical Criticism The Purposes of Historical and New Historical Criticism Biographical and Historical Criticism John Milton, "When I Consider How My Light Is Spent" Cultural Studies New Historicism History as Text Marxist Criticism Postcolonial and Ethnic Studies How to Do Biographical and Historical Criticism The Writing Process: Sample Essays John Cheever, Reunion A Biographical Essay Preparing to Write Shaping Drafting A New Historical Essay Preparing to Write Shaping