Hello Everyone! (Blog Introduction)

This blog is devoted to English 436 Critical Theory with Professor Wexler.  This is my second time making a blog and I find it to be a very fun yet educational way of learning.  I was always hesitant about taking theory because I have heard that it would be a very challenging course.  However, during the first day of class, I enjoyed the lecture and was even more excited that we were going to discuss elements of popular culture and how it can relate to critical theory.  I have always been a big fan of pop culture.  I believe this class is going to definitely give me a different outlook on what exactly critical theory is and how it applies to other areas of study. 

I enjoyed the exercise we did in class on Tuesday because it showed me the different aspects of theory.  It was also interesting to know the viewpoints of my classmates on this subject.  The ideas that my classmates shared helped me realize that you can find theory in anything that you come across.  Their ideas, as well as the lecture, illustrated the different approaches to take when dealing with critical theory. I think the most important thing about approaching a text is what the text is trying to convey and what might be some of the reasons that the text was even written.  When we saw the doll on a music box clip from the film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I was surprised that my theory worked quite well with the movie.  When I watched the beginning of the clip, I believed that the two characters were toys that were meant to entertain their audience.  However, as the clip progressed, I realized that there was much more to it than that.  When the male doll looks into the mirror, he stops dancing and is surprised at his appearance.  Also, when he sees the female doll, he expresses his feelings towards her, giving him human characteristics.  The female doll also wants to desperately attain freedom but she is trapped and constrained.  When I applied gender theory to this clip, I understood more of what the text was trying to convey and could relate it to my own theory. 

I am sure that many other theories can be applied to this clip.  I am eager to learn about them and gain a different outlook on what the text is trying to illustrate.  I have had a brief introduction of different theories in literature but I would like to delve in further and analyze each theory much more thoroughly in this class.  I would like to learn about why theory is studied, some different approaches to theory, and how it can be applied to various forms of literature.  I would like to get a better grasp of critical theory and connect it to the literature that I study.  I am eager and excited to explore all of these elements about theory in this class.