, ENG3703 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS)
2025 - DUE September 2025; 100% correct solutions
and explanations.
Comparing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Approaches to the Study of
Literature
Introduction
The study of literature has long been shaped by debates about where
the centre of interpretation should lie: within the text itself or in the
wider context that surrounds it. On one side are approaches which
stress intrinsic factors, treating the text as a self-contained aesthetic
object whose form, language, and structure are the primary sources
of meaning. On the other side are approaches which privilege
extrinsic factors, situating the text within social, cultural, and
political frameworks and reading it as a product of history and
ideology rather than pure art. These positions give rise to different
theoretical traditions and critical practices. This essay critically
compares the two approaches, outlining their theoretical bases,
assessing their interpretive strengths and weaknesses, and
considering their usefulness for literary criticism.
Intrinsic Approaches: The Text as an Aesthetic Object
Intrinsic criticism focuses on the internal features of the literary
text: style, imagery, structure, symbolism, and narrative techniques.
The most influential movement in this line of thought is New
Criticism, which emerged in Anglo-American literary studies
during the early to mid-20th century. New Critics such as Cleanth
Brooks (1947) and W.K. Wimsatt (1954) argued that literature
should be treated as a self-contained artefact, free from external
2025 - DUE September 2025; 100% correct solutions
and explanations.
Comparing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Approaches to the Study of
Literature
Introduction
The study of literature has long been shaped by debates about where
the centre of interpretation should lie: within the text itself or in the
wider context that surrounds it. On one side are approaches which
stress intrinsic factors, treating the text as a self-contained aesthetic
object whose form, language, and structure are the primary sources
of meaning. On the other side are approaches which privilege
extrinsic factors, situating the text within social, cultural, and
political frameworks and reading it as a product of history and
ideology rather than pure art. These positions give rise to different
theoretical traditions and critical practices. This essay critically
compares the two approaches, outlining their theoretical bases,
assessing their interpretive strengths and weaknesses, and
considering their usefulness for literary criticism.
Intrinsic Approaches: The Text as an Aesthetic Object
Intrinsic criticism focuses on the internal features of the literary
text: style, imagery, structure, symbolism, and narrative techniques.
The most influential movement in this line of thought is New
Criticism, which emerged in Anglo-American literary studies
during the early to mid-20th century. New Critics such as Cleanth
Brooks (1947) and W.K. Wimsatt (1954) argued that literature
should be treated as a self-contained artefact, free from external
