Pros And Cons Of New Historicism
New historicism approaches analyzing works of literature by taking into account the author’s history (The year he was born in, his family’s culture and backround, his mental state, his social status etc.) and the history of the critic.
Stephen Greenblatt is the founder of new historicism. Born November 7 1943 , in Boston, he is now an accomplished critic and professor of the humanities at Harvard University.
Before new historicism’s development in the 1980s literary works were approached completely by the content.
With the development of new historicism Stephen Greenblatt’s approach to analyzing literary works demonstrated how there was so much more to learn and interoperate from the texts then the content alone.
Pros
Allows a more in depth …show more content…
Dependent on accurate archives of the relevant time period
Requires strong comprehension of complex concepts (ex. Economics of the slave trade in 1700s)
Largely ignores symbolism, metaphors, etc. not relevant to historical context
The events of Prince Prospero’s masquerade reflect on the hardship Edgar Allan Poe has experienced throughout his life. It emphasizes Poe’s views on social class through its climax and denouenment.
How does the work reflect the current events of the time the author lived in?
How could events of the work be applied to the author’s life?
How is the author’s bias present in the work?
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death showcases the biases and strife Poe has experienced. The red death in this story is reminiscent of the diseases that ran rampant in Poe’s lifetime, including cholera, typhoid, influenza, and particularly tuberculosis. The red death is Poe’s fictionalized version of tuberculosis which claimed his mother, brother, wife, and foster mother. Poe grew up without an abundance of money. After one semester at the University of Virginia, he had amassed a great deal of debt and was forced to withdraw. This led him to become critical of the upper class and their frivolous usage of wealth. Within The Masque of the Red Death, Poe’s distaste for the selfishness of the wealthy is evident. With sickness abound, the rich hide away in a castle to party, ignoring those in need. The arrival
Stephen Greenblatt is the founder of new historicism. Born November 7 1943 , in Boston, he is now an accomplished critic and professor of the humanities at Harvard University.
Before new historicism’s development in the 1980s literary works were approached completely by the content.
With the development of new historicism Stephen Greenblatt’s approach to analyzing literary works demonstrated how there was so much more to learn and interoperate from the texts then the content alone.
Pros
Allows a more in depth …show more content…
Dependent on accurate archives of the relevant time period
Requires strong comprehension of complex concepts (ex. Economics of the slave trade in 1700s)
Largely ignores symbolism, metaphors, etc. not relevant to historical context
The events of Prince Prospero’s masquerade reflect on the hardship Edgar Allan Poe has experienced throughout his life. It emphasizes Poe’s views on social class through its climax and denouenment.
How does the work reflect the current events of the time the author lived in?
How could events of the work be applied to the author’s life?
How is the author’s bias present in the work?
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death showcases the biases and strife Poe has experienced. The red death in this story is reminiscent of the diseases that ran rampant in Poe’s lifetime, including cholera, typhoid, influenza, and particularly tuberculosis. The red death is Poe’s fictionalized version of tuberculosis which claimed his mother, brother, wife, and foster mother. Poe grew up without an abundance of money. After one semester at the University of Virginia, he had amassed a great deal of debt and was forced to withdraw. This led him to become critical of the upper class and their frivolous usage of wealth. Within The Masque of the Red Death, Poe’s distaste for the selfishness of the wealthy is evident. With sickness abound, the rich hide away in a castle to party, ignoring those in need. The arrival