Daily Archives: January 27, 2011

In our class discussion, someone refuted Dobie’s assertion that formalism makes a person a better, more discerning reader by pointing out that it simply makes them a certain kind of reader. While reading her essay, I found myself alternately nodding … Continue reading →

I think it’s important to analyze the purpose of formalist literature before discussing the pros and cons. It’s easy nitpick the contradictions or applaud the strengths before establishing what it’s really trying to do. In the introduction to the chapter, … Continue reading →

After reading the information presented about formalism, I see how observing a work of art as a single entity is useful, but I still believe that a mixture of both forms of criticism is necessary to gain the “deepest” knowledge … Continue reading →

While I don’t necessarily agree that every work should be approached with absolutely no regard to historical or geographical context, I can still appreciate the formalist approach to studying English. It would frustrate me (if ever I actually do get … Continue reading →