1. Literary Theory

scholarly discussion that tries to explain how the meaning of literature can be determined.

2. Reader-response theory

argues that a literary work is incomplete in and of itself; a reader is necessary to complete it's meaning.

3. Feminist and gender based literary cristicism

focuses on issues relative to sex, gender, or sexual orientation. Both feminist and gender based literary criticism focus on the significance of sex, gender, or sexual orientation within a particular social context.

4. Rase based literary criticism

focuses on issues related to race relations.

5. Class based literary criticism

focuses on socioeconomic issues.

6. Text based literary criticism

focuses on the work itself.

7. Context based literary criticism.

focuses on the time and place in which a work was created.

8. psychoanalytic theories

focus on psychological factors affecting the writing and the reading of literature.

9. atlantic studies

studying atlantic culture rather than land masses such as America and England.