Bressler, C.E. (2002). Literary criticism: An introduction to theory and practice. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
- does a text have only one correct meaning?
- is a text always didactic; i.e., must a reader learn something from every text?
- does a text affect each reader in the same way?
- how is a text influenced by the culture of it author and the culture in which it is written?
- can a text become a catalyst for change in a given culture?
- theoretical criticism: formulates theories, principles, and tenets of the nature and value of art (by citing general aesthetic and moral principles of art, provides framework for practical criticism)
- practical criticism (applied criticism): (based on theories and principles of theoretical criticism) defines the standards of taste and explains, evaluates, or justifies a particular piece of literature
- absolutist critic: posits there is only one theory or set of principles that may used when evaluating a literary work
- relativist critic: uses various and even contradictory theories in critiquing a text
