Literary Theories

Post-colonialism
Postcolonialism refers to a period of time after European control of an area has lessened or disappeared completely. This literary theory focuses on how the European culture influenced the colonized nation, and the impact it had on their literature, politics, and history, specifically when related to writing. Some important terms of Postcolonialism are Alterity, Diaspora, Eurocentrism, Hybridity, and Imperialism.

New Criticism
New Criticism argues that a piece of literature should not be judged according to reasons other than the work itself. This theory was developed in the 1920s and 1930s as a response to traditional criticism. Key terms of New Criticism are Intentional Fallacy, Affective Fallacy, Heresy of Paraphrase, and Close reading.