A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature

Now in its fourth edition, A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature has become a standard introduction to the close reading of literature. It offers students and other readers a variety of ways to interpret a piece of literature, ranging from traditional approaches through the formalist, the psychological, the mythic and archetypal, and into such contemporary approaches as feminist criticism and cultural studies. Applying these diverse approaches to the same five works, the book shows students how various methods offer different insights, enriching their response to and understanding of the individual work. This fourth edition features a new chapter on cultural studies and the inclusion and interpretation of Alice Walker's singularly rich short story, "Everyday Use."

John R. Willingham is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Kansas. Jeanne C. Reesman is Ashbel Smith Professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Lee Morgan is Professor Emeritus of English at Centenary College. Earle Labor is George A. Wilson Professor of American Literature at Centenary College. Wilfred L. Guerin is Professor Emeritus of English at Louisiana State University.