Question

unit submission prompt:

literary works often portray characters who collide with aspects of their own or an unfamiliar culture. this conflict can result in characters questioning their sense of identity. using one of the works we have studied in this class or another text that depicts a character struggling with aspects of a culture, write an essay or create a presentation in which you analyze how the texts author uses literary devices such as setting, structure, characterization, or perspective to portray this conflict between a character and culture.

directions: check your understanding by answering the question(s).

what is your claim in response to the prompt? which school of literary criticism best represents the thinking behind your prompt?

Explanation:

Analyze the prompt requirements

The prompt asks for an analysis of how a character struggles with aspects of a culture (their own or an unfamiliar one), questioning their sense of identity, and how the author uses literary devices to portray this conflict. We must formulate a claim and identify the school of literary criticism that best represents this thinking.

Identify the school of literary criticism

Using the Literary Criticism and Literary Theory knowledge points:
The focus on cultural collision, identity struggles within a culture, and the tension between dominant and marginalized cultural values aligns directly with Cultural Criticism (or Postcolonial Criticism, depending on the specific text chosen). Cultural Criticism examines how literature reflects, shapes, or challenges cultural power dynamics and identity.

Formulate a model claim

Using the Literary Theory knowledge point:
A strong claim must connect an author's use of literary devices to the thematic conflict between character and culture. For example, using Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: "In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe utilizes cultural setting and tragic characterization to illustrate how Okonkwo's rigid adherence to traditional Igbo masculinity collides with the shifting cultural values of his society, ultimately fracturing his sense of identity."

Connect claim to the critical lens

Using the Literary Criticism knowledge point:
This approach represents Cultural Criticism because it analyzes how cultural norms, societal shifts, and identity are constructed and contested within the text.

Answer:

Claim:
In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the author utilizes cultural setting and tragic characterization to illustrate how Okonkwo's rigid adherence to traditional Igbo masculinity collides with the shifting cultural values of his society, ultimately fracturing his sense of identity.

School of Literary Criticism:
This prompt and response are best represented by Cultural Criticism (or Postcolonial Criticism), as the analysis focuses on how individuals navigate identity, power dynamics, and conflict within specific cultural and historical contexts.