Critiquing Themes in Lit

CRITIQUING THEMES AND MEANING IN LITERATURE
By M. Alice Chown


If you were a caveperson gazing up at the night sky, you'd search the stars and the blackness between for a meaning.  The constellations, which are based on myths handed down by the ancient Greeks, stand as examples of our innate desire to find a message in a medium.

It's human nature to seek meaning.  Our brains naturally fill in missing information to perceive order and sense even where none may exist.  Likewise, during the act of reading, our brains try to find meaning beyond that which is expressed by the individual words.  It's difficult to read the following without mentally imbuing the neologisms with meaning:   

"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe."

--First stanza of the nonsense poem, "Jabberwocky", from "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There", 1872, by Lewis Carroll.

Over the decades, much has been written on the subject of interpreting literary work – too much to go into here.  However, most school systems in the West teach students not only how to read, but how to read between the lines.  So, while most of you aren't literary scholars (self included), and some of you aren't writers, you possess enough knowledge to read a story or a poem and express something coherent and even insightful about its theme(s).  

A "theme" is a statement or question about human nature, the human condition or literature itself, which the author has consciously or intuitively woven into their story or poem.  Themes can be highly personal or they can represent universal ideals, such as beauty, truth or wisdom or combination of both.  They can take the form of subtle observations or bold stances.  Some literary works explore complex and layered themes and some tackle more than one issue.     

A "meaning" is the interpretation that you, the reader, arrive at after reading a piece of literature.  Your interpretation may or may not match the author's intended theme, because you come to any written work with life experiences, cultural or ethnic influences, personal taste and beliefs of your own. In addition, if the style and literary or poetic devices are open-ended, several interpretations can be derived from a piece.  

In a way, a story or poem is like message in a bottle.  However, the author rarely comes right out and tells you the theme.  Generally, they're not trying to confuse or mystify you.  The story or poem is supposed to be experienced – like a walk in someone else's shoes or a frozen moment as in a snapshot.  The author shows rather than tells you the theme, and, perhaps, leaves you with something to think about.  (If you prefer a clearly stated viewpoint on an issue, read non-fiction.)  In stories, the theme is explored and revealed via characters working through a central problem and/or plot in a fictional setting.  In poetry, the compression of language, along with meter, and sometimes rhyme or the appearance of the poem on the page interact to convey the message.  Both forms rely on style and literary or poetic devices as well, such as metaphors, symbolism, imagery, repetition.  Writers just love to play with words.  

Feel free to dust off that old lit textbook, if you must.  But to critique for meaning, you don't have to sound like a crusty old English teacher, or that double-dipping poser at the party who tosses around words like "motif" and "juxtaposition" and then spills his drink on you.  Faking your way through it (not that you'd ever do this) or avoiding the whole business, because you're afraid of being wrong, or because you don't like talking about airy-fairy, meaning-of-life stuff isn't the way to go either.  

Essentially, all that's expected from you is your opinion.  What makes your opinion valid is not that you guessed exactly what the writer was trying to say, or that you agreed with his or her message, but rather how you supported your interpretation of the theme with examples and reasons drawn from the piece and, perhaps, other sources, like the books you've read.  

Most stories and poems are aimed at reasonably intelligent readers like you and deal with ideas within the realm of common human experience.  Yes, you may have to look up the odd word or term.  However, some authors fill their work with esoteric or personal details that only those among their inner circle could understand.  Other authors write in a highly cryptic fashion and yet fail to include the secret decoder ring.  Admitting that you didn't get the point is perfectly valid, and not something to feel embarrassed about, but you must take the time to show why the piece was un-get-able. It's also not that unusual to like something even though it mostly went over your head.  (I've been there.)  When this happens, your critique may be limited to your vague impressions, which, believe it or not, can still be of value to the author.    

Your thoughts on the main ideas in a piece can tell the author whether their theme was well-realized and meaningful, or confusing and trite.   Sometimes critiques can make an author aware of meanings he or she hadn't realized were there.  As for you, learning to write with confidence about the artistic side of the craft will not only make you better at small talk at cocktail parties and book clubs, but it will improve your understanding of themes in your own work.  Besides, since the story or the poem is a vehicle for the author's message, no critique is complete without a sentence or two on the meaning.  

When it comes to writing up a critique, out of respect for the author of the piece, for Pete's sake, don't just wing it.  Here's a conventional approach to try until you develop one of your own:  

Start by jotting down your first impressions about the theme of the story or poem.  Then sit down at your keyboard and compose the rough draft of your critique, (rereading all or parts of the piece, as needed), using the following questions to guide you along:

• What was the piece saying or asking about human nature, the human condition or literature?  This is your interpretation of the theme.  
• What is your opinion of the theme?  You can draw on your own experiences, feelings and knowledge to support this.  Maybe the main idea in the story or poem reminds you the theme of a published work you've read.
• Did the title draw you into the piece without giving away too much about the theme or alternatively without being too obscure?  
• Did the first paragraph(s) of the story or the first or stanza of the poem not only grab your attention, but introduce the theme, or begin to set up the conditions in which the theme could be explored?  
• For stories: Did the central conflict and/or plot as explored through characters and setting work well to reveal the theme, and how was this achieved?  
• Did the imagery, language or style work well to reveal the theme and how was this achieved?  
• Every word in a piece of literature should relate either indirectly or directly to the realization of the theme.  Did the piece contain gratuitous sex, violence, or llama tossing?  Did it seem like the author was showing off, rather than sticking to the message?  
• Did the ending of the piece leave you with something worthwhile to ponder?  Or did you feel as if the author had shoved your brain into a blender and pressed "frappe"?

To write the final draft of your critique, begin by stating your interpretation of the theme and your opinion of it.  Next, go into how well the meaning came through, making sure to support all of your points with examples and reasons. Conclude with what the piece left you to think about.  Always check your spelling and grammar!

It should go without saying that you'll treat the author's work with respect.  Even if you disliked it, let them know what they got right.  Be constructive in your criticisms, and be up front about any personal biases you may have for or against their theme.  So, go forth and critique for meaning without fear of reprisals, such as the spine of a hurled book making a new parting in your hair.