literary theory

1. Post-structuralist analysis of The Bluest Eye
Post-structuralism offers a way of studying how knowledge is produced and critiques
structuralist premises. It argues that because history and culture condition the study of underlying
structures, both are subject to biases and misinterpretations. Post-structuralism is less singularly
defined as a movement than is structuralism. A number of literary theories fall under the larger
umbrella of poststructuralism, including the reader-response criticism.
In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the theme of beauty and ugliness and the consequences of
each are prevalent in the novel where all characters are affected to different degrees by those
notions. Pecola is the one who is affected in the most negative way because of a variety of
reasons. It is not only the ideal of the beautiful white, blond and blue-eyed person that
is promoted by whites and accepted by both white and African Americans. Her family makes
Pecola particularly vulnerable to those ideas. Her lack of self-esteem is generated by her alleged
ugliness and also by the neglect, abuse, and contempt heaped upon her. She is only longed for
love and acceptance so her wish for blue eyes is also metaphorical of her need to be loved which
is ironically fulfilled to some extend by the three prostitutes but it is not enough against the
rejection of the entire community. Her parents, Pauline and Cholly, feel the same way, ugly in
body and soul, and therefore unworthy and inferior. They perpetuate this condition by
transmitting it to their daughter. The twins, Frieda and Claudia, face the same problem but they
are more aware and critical of the abstract nature and injustice of those standards. By using the
Post-Structuralism theories of thought, the reader can confront the contrasts of beauty verses
ugliness and blackness versus whiteness to better understand the detrimental effects of the
cultural codes imposed on the young black girls in the story.

2. Marxist analysis of The Things Fall Apart
Marxism is a method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical
development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social
conflict as well as a dialectical perspective to view social transformation.
In Chinua Achebe’s Things fall apart, the Igbo culture does not represent capitalism as we may
think of it. There are no factories in turn-of-the-century Africa, but there are similarities between
a capitalist society and the Igbo society. For example, they both emphasize the importance of
strength and competition amongst individuals. In Igbo culture competition is presented more as a
game than a business. Okonkwo, the main protagonist a young man of eighteen he had brought
honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for
seven years was unbeaten. Okonkwo achieve greatness in wrestling, he also achieved greatness
off the field. His life was almost like a rag to riches tale. As Achebe explains, with a father like
Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had. He neither inherited
a barn nor a title, nor even a young wife. But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even
in his father’s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future. Hard work, determination, a
sense of personal responsibility to his growing family, all these played a part in Okonkwo’s
financial success. In Igbo culture capital was measured in yams and cowries. Material
possessions aside from land were scarce, but there were possessions of a different sort. And it
was these possessions, such as wives, children, and most importantly titles, that gave men status
in society. Those unable or unwilling to conform to society in gaining possessions were cast out,
and seen as failures.