I will discuss how I interpret literature theoretically. It is believed that literary theories are studied because they "provide a vocabulary and tools for thinking about reading, writing, and criticism, both for everyday acts of evaluation and more academic studies of literature and culture" (Stevens, 2021, p. 8). I'll talk about a few novels I've read that had a big impact on my life, as well as the literary strategy I used to read them. These include phenomenology, biographical studies, poetry, and criticism of psychoanalysis. In my evaluation, I'll discuss the rationale for the use of these theoretical frameworks.
The first important book I read was in 1995, long before I started writing books or even went back to school as an older adult. My supervisor registered me in the Dale Carnagie Sales Advantage Program that year, and I can still recall it (Dale Carnagie & Associates, Inc., 2023). This 6-week adult classroom course was created to turn unskilled salespeople like myself into sales dynamos. Although I graduated at the top of my sales class, my manager could see that I had talent but lacked the killer instinct. "How to Make Friends & Influence People" (Pocket Books, 1998) and "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" (Prabhakar Prakashan, 2002) were the two texts that were given to us. They were penned by Carnagie in the 1940s.
I quickly read through each page in an effort to satisfy my employer and discovered that I had been handling sales and marketing incorrectly. When I should have been thinking on what my clients needed and desired, I had been preoccupied with my sales targets and commissions. According to Theodore Roosevelt, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" (Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University, 2023). Carnagie's concepts changed my life because I was able to view things from my prospect's perspective for the first time. It not only altered my attitude, but I also started to generate revenue.
I read Carnagie's writings using a variety of literary approaches, including biographical, narratological, and psychoanalytical. Since "Psychoanalytic Criticism looks at the psychological dimensions of reading and writing, among other things" (Stevens, p. 32), I'll refer to it as psychoanalytical. His publications excelled in introducing entrepreneurs to the psychology of interpersonal relationships, which helped readers improve their effectiveness and productivity at work and at home.
Carnagie's novels were replete with narrations from his life, and narratology is the study of narrative (Stevens, p. 32). He utilized examples from his straightforward and moral American background and his skills as a salesperson to show what worked and what didn't. He was the son of Midwest farmer parents. Even a farmer might comprehend the human relations ideas he outlined in his books.
A literary classic, "How to Win Friends & Influence People" was published in 1998. It was written in the 1940s and continues to rank among the greatest sellers today. There aren't many novels that have lasted as long as this one. While Carnagie's novels lacked the research that would have been used to support his claims, I do not doubt their creative voracity.
The second book that had a significant impression on me was written by the late best-selling novelist and psychic Sylvia Browne. I read her best-selling book, "Adventures of a Psychic" (Hayhouse, 1998), since I had seen her on talk programs and wasn't sure if she was genuine. I was pleasantly surprised and motivated by her bravery in using her psychic ability. I used the Biographical Study method with Sylvia's autobiography. because Sylvia wanted to introduce herself to the world by describing the psychic talent she had when she was a little kid.
I continued to read all of her novels, but "Journey of the Soul," the first book in a trilogy, was my favorite since it addressed several existentially focused philosophical and phenomenological queries. As "phenomenology is the study of consciousness and perception" (Stevens, p. 36), which is precisely the subject matter of these volumes, I read this series utilizing Phenomenological Theory.
It is clear that Sylvia's message touched many since she went on to publish a very popular book and became one of the most well-known psychics in the entire world. Her narrative would have been more interesting if there had been more images of her as a youngster, lectures, the organization that investigated her and recruited her as a professor, her various husbands (I couldn't keep them straight), and her family members.
I shelled out a crazy sum of money to attend Sylvia's Psychic Salon in my town so I could see the legend, my idol, up close. In person, she was even more amazing and personable. I bought one of her books after the performance and waited in the biggest queue I had ever seen to obtain her autograph. When it was my turn, I was giddy with anticipation. The only thing that came out of my mouth when I tried to express to Sylvia how much her novels had meant to me was a gushing, squeaky voice that exclaimed, "You're the BEST Sylvia!" She briefly looked up from the book, bags under her tired eyes, and muttered, "Thanks, hon," in her scratchy smoker's voice.
Lastly, much like an archaeologist discovering a rare artifact buried in the attic, I stumbled upon an ancient Sufi poet. With his fervently spiritual love poems, the Persian Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–1273) altered my concept of free verse poetry. Sufi poetry is lyrical, passionate, and written in free verse. In this conception, humans are viewed as the Beloved and God as the Lover. Poetic theory might be used to assess Rumi's writing, and there are several approaches to approach such archaic literature. "The decisions teachers make in the classroom might reveal their preferred method of theory. For instance, a lecturer who gives extensive information on writers' lives is obviously of the opinion that author biographies are necessary in order to comprehend a piece. I approached Rumi's work with the goal of comprehending the whole picture, including his life story, the formalist method he employed, and the historical context of the time. Rumi's tale had many facets; piecing it together was like solving an intriguing and tragic puzzle. Because Rumi was a product of his period and society, one might also judge him using the Cultural Construction Theory (p. 8). According to this theory, "Historical and cultural circumstances shape our ideas about truth, beauty, education, art and literature, food, clothing, and everything else" (p. 8). Rumi was one of a million poets; but it is rare to find one who had the ability to carve a heart out of stone the way Michelangelo did. I won't criticize literary genius other than to say most of his poetry required too much of my attention to keep me engaged.
I am a non-fiction and eclectic reader, although I have read a small amount of fiction. I like nonfiction because, in my opinion, I would rather learn something than be amused. I've studied a variety of genres, but biographies, phenomenological works, psychoanalytical writings, and poetry have taught me the most. If I ever find that I love reading fiction, I might expand my repertoire of literary criticism.
A.H. Stevens. (2021). Literary
Theory and Criticism: An Introduction. Broadview Press.
Britannica. (2023). Rumi.
Rumi
| Biography, Poems, & Facts | Britannica
Browne, S. (1998). Adventures of a Psychic: The Fascinating and Inspiring True Life Story of One of America's Most Successful Clairvoyants. Hayhouse.
Dale Carnagie &
Associates, Inc. (2023). Dale
Carnagie.
Dale Carnegie Course | Dale Carnegie
Carnagie, D. (2022). How
to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Prabhakar Prakashan; 1st edition.
Carnagie, D. (1998). How
To Win Friends & Influence People. Pocket Books.
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Theodore Roosevelt Center
at Dickinson State University. (2023). Theodore Roosevelt Quotes.
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