Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Critical lenses are different perspectives or approaches that can be used to analyze and interpret a text. They allow readers to examine various aspects of a work, such as its themes, characters, symbols, and social or historical context.
Related terms
Formalism: A critical lens that focuses on the structure, form, language, and style of a literary work.
Feminist Criticism: A critical lens that examines literature from the perspective of gender roles and power dynamics between men and women.
Marxist Criticism: A critical lens that analyzes literature in terms of social class structures and economic systems.