What is the Formalistic Lens?
The Fomalistic Lens aims to seek out meaning from the piece of work by giving attention to the form or structure of a work and the literary devices present in it. While other approaches may examine how the text connects with social, cultural, or political realities in the outside world, formalism, examines the exclusively literary elements of the text, focusing on the internal workings of the text rather than external influences. This literally approach is extremely different from the New Historicism or Marxist lens approachs, both of which analyze how the text is socially and historically impacted. |
A Brief History of the Formalistic Lens:
The Formalistic Lens rose to prominence during the middle of the twentieth century as a reaction to the ideas of the Romanticist theories of literature, which centered around the individual genius, instead of the text itself. Reaching its peak popularity in the 1940's-50's, the formalistic lens replaced traditional literary approaches by rejecting impressionism, moral tones, and philogical studies and became known as "New Criticism." The New Criticism practitioners valued works rich in ambiguity, irony and intention, and wanted to make literary criticism a science. However, beginning in the 1970's the popularity of the formalistic lens sharply declined because of its "narrow-mindedness" and was replaced by various other approaches to literature. Even though the formalistic approach is no longer as popular, critics cannot deny its lasting impression on the American literary society.
The Formalistic Lens rose to prominence during the middle of the twentieth century as a reaction to the ideas of the Romanticist theories of literature, which centered around the individual genius, instead of the text itself. Reaching its peak popularity in the 1940's-50's, the formalistic lens replaced traditional literary approaches by rejecting impressionism, moral tones, and philogical studies and became known as "New Criticism." The New Criticism practitioners valued works rich in ambiguity, irony and intention, and wanted to make literary criticism a science. However, beginning in the 1970's the popularity of the formalistic lens sharply declined because of its "narrow-mindedness" and was replaced by various other approaches to literature. Even though the formalistic approach is no longer as popular, critics cannot deny its lasting impression on the American literary society.
Essential Concepts
- Intentional Fallacy: Formalistic Critics believe that intentionally fallacy, which states the author's intention in creating the work irrelevant because the actual value of literature lies in the text itself.
- Effective fallacy: Formalistic Critics also thought that effective fallacy, which states that the meaning or value of a piece of literature relies on its effect on audiences, was irrelevant. They thought that a piece of literature cannot be judged on its emotional impact, but more so on the quality of the work that produces such results.
Connection to Their Eyes Were Watching God:
When applying the formalistic lens to the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, we decided to look at prominent themes, symbols, point of view, and other important aspects that relate to the formalistic lens.
When applying the formalistic lens to the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, we decided to look at prominent themes, symbols, point of view, and other important aspects that relate to the formalistic lens.