Illuminations. Illuminations: The Critical Theory Website is a WWW research resource for those interested in the Critical Theory project.
Firmly based in Frankfurt School thought, this site maintains a collection of articles, excerpts, and chapters from many contemporary writers of and about Critical Theory. Additional submissions from graduate students and others are also available, as are links to other websites and related sources. If you are interested in contributing to this continuos and growing project, created by Douglas Brown and Douglas Kellner, please contact Douglas Kellner at The University of Texas at Austin or Byron Hawk at The University of Texas at Arlington. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Department of English Languages and Literature - Courses. Introduction to Modern Literary Theory. Psychoanalytic Criticism The application of specific psychological principles (particularly those of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan [zhawk lawk-KAWN]) to the study of literature.
Psychoanalytic criticism may focus on the writer's psyche, the study of the creative process, the study of psychological types and principles present within works of literature, or the effects of literature upon its readers (Wellek and Warren, p. 81). In addition to Freud and Lacan, major figures include Shoshona Felman, Jane Gallop, Norman Holland, George Klein, Elizabeth Wright, Frederick Hoffman, and, Simon Lesser.