ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
LESSON 6: CRITICAL APPROACHES IN WRITING A CRITIQUE
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY: Use appropriate critical approaches in writing a
critique such as formalism, feminism, etc.
Critique
is derived from ancient Greek (“kritike”).
a careful judgment in shaping one’s opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of a
piece of writing or work of art.
It is critical evaluation to further understand validity, worth, effect, use of the material
that interests readers, and/or the recommendation or appeal for further appreciation.
a critical and comprehensive evaluation that provides new insights or interpretation of
a material (books, works of arts, products, movies, scholarly works, events) through a
systematic evaluation based on evidence or criteria.
CRITICAL APPROACHES IN WRITING A CRITIQUE- are the different perspectives one should
consider when looking at a piece of literature.
FORMALIST- emphasizes the form of a literary work to determine its meaning, focusing
on literary elements and how they work to create meaning.
FEMINISM- emphasizes the importance or relevance of women as subjects and how
gender has been perceived in the piece.
READER RESPONSE- stresses the attachment or strong connectionism of an individual
reader’s mind to the piece at hand.
MARXIST CRITICISM- tries to unfold how socioeconomic status affects hierarchy or
conflicts involving social classes in the masterpiece.
BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH- focuses on connection of work to author’s personal
experiences.
HISTORICAL APPROACH- focuses on connection of work to the historical period in which
it was written.
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH- focuses on the psychology of characters.
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH- focuses on man’s relationship to others in society, politics,
religion, and business.
ARCHETYPAL APPROACH- focuses on connections to other literature,
mythological/biblical allusions, archetypal images, symbols, characters, and themes.
Examples of Archetype
The Innocent
Everyman
Hero
Outlaw
Explorer
Creator
Ruler
Magician
Lover
Caregiver
Jester
Sage
PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH- focuses on themes, view of the world, moral statements,
author’s philosophy.
Guidelines in Writing the Reaction Paper/Review/Critique
1. Value Communicated
a. Sound critical judgment
b. A fair and balanced assessment of situations or events, people and things
2. Content
For cultural affairs, people, works, performances:
(a) The central purposes of the event or product
(b) The means, devices, strategies employed to achieve the purpose.
(c) An evaluation of the achievement: success or failure
d) The significance (if any) beyond mere entertainment of the event or product in
ethical and/aesthetic terms, its timeliness and/or timelessness
Basic Qualities of an Adequate Critical Judgment
a. Provides accurate and relevant information on the event, show, or work
b. Exhibits full appreciation of the purpose behind the event, show, or work
c. Shows a clear understanding of the means (strategies, techniques, devices, etc.)
and their appropriateness and power in achieving the purpose
d. Exhibits fairness and balance in the judgment made
e. Projects incisive and profound insights into its
(1) analysis of the event or artifact
(2) interpretation of the underlying meaning or significance of the event or artifact,
and every detail of the event or artifact
(3) appreciation of the values (moral and/or aesthetic) unfolded in every detail of
the event or artifact
Analytical Thesis Statement- states the topic of the paper, what specifically is analyzed, and
the conclusion(s) reached as a result of that analysis.
