I was at Oliver’s Café, Ladoke Akintola Street, Ibadan, working on a writing project when Jane walked in briskly and sat on the chair opposite mine. We agreed to meet there to thrash out some writing gigs. She brought out her mini-laptop in haste, and with excitement she said, “Grace! You need to see how the story I wrote was dissected. I never knew I was this talented.” She had submitted her short story for a review on a particular writing platform, and it was attention-grabbing.
“Though some of their criticisms made my throat ache and made my tear gland well up, but all the same it boosted my morale to be better.” She sighed.
More often than not, few creatives find themselves in the same circumstances as Jane. Whereas, some cringe at the criticisms they get on their works and relax on their abilities. Some get furious at the critics themselves and develop some sort of hatred. Some feel literary appreciation should supersede criticisms, or if possible, criticism should not be made at all. Some feel literary critics are just some sort of mortally-made devil seeking the downfall of creatives. With all of these, do we still feel the need to permit literary critics to breathe freely in the literary space today? Obviously, yes! It is imperative to note that aside from these assumptions that people make concerning literary critics, there are vital roles they have played, are playing, and will yet play in the coming years. Therefore, who are literary critics?
As a matter of fact, literary critics are a set of professional individuals who study, analyse, evaluate, and judge a piece of literature, either poetry, a work of fiction, or a play. Undoubtedly, It is the in-depth and unbiased evaluation of a piece of art. Emphasis on “a set of professional individuals.” It is paramount to note that literary critics are professionals with ample knowledge on whatever they are debating against or evaluating. Hence, this fact should always come first when qualifying literary critics. Furthermore, an essential word to be highlighted is “study.” They go through a process of rigorous reading and research before they come up with criticisms. Besides, there are a lot of literary critics to mention, but a few: T.S. Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, M.H. Abrams, Chinua Achebe, Chinweizu Ibekwe, Adewale Maja-Pearce, Niyi Osundare, Ikhide Ikheloa, and more.
In addition to this, it is crucial to note that criticism does not only have to do with a written piece. There can be criticisms of movies, paintings, drawings, and even songs.
Moreover, Jane’s words are testaments to the fact that we need literary critics in our space where literature, creativity, and innovation thrive. Accordingly, we need people who are skilled in the areas of giving constructive criticisms and reviews on literary works of art without any form of personal bias. To put it clearly, when I say “constructive criticism,” I don’t mean hurting the self-esteem of people to the extent that it makes them feel less of the creative person that they are but shows them how to make positive improvements with specific recommendations that will aid them and boost their morale, like in the case of Jane.
Hence, what roles do literary critics play? How have their roles shaped society and literature as a whole?
ROLES OF LITERARY CRITICS.
Assess and evaluate a piece of art:
Literary critics provide their opinions on a particular work of art. Through their evaluation, one gets to identify quality from quantity—the value and impact a piece of art can have on a people or the society at large. If it’s a written piece, they point out the literary components that make up a work. i.e., narrative structure, themes, literary devices and techniques, language and style, and more.
Contextualise Art:
According to T.S. Eliot, for a piece of art to be well understood, it must be contextualised. In the sense that it can be fully comprehensive in its historical and cultural context. He further argues that for an artist’s intentions to be deciphered, the critic must have a vast knowledge of the artist’s historical context.
Foster literary appreciation of a literary work among readers:
Literary critics are good dissectors of literary works through an in-depth analysis and interpretation of the work. Through their lens, readers see and understand the significance of a piece and the need to appreciate it. Even authors whose works are being analysed realise the importance of what they have written and are encouraged to do more. Further, T.S. Eliot believed that the role of a critic was to “create a dialogue between the art and the audience.”
Introduction of new books, genres, and authors to readers: Through their reviews and recommendations, readers are aware of new genres, books, and their writers. They make readers know what they are searching for, what they need, and where to find it.
Constructive feedback on literary works: They make specific recommendations for artists on how to improve their work, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and showing them how to fill the lapses. Therefore, artists note certain things and work on improving.
Spur critical thinking and discussion:
Literary critics engage readers and creatives in debate and discussions. They develop literary theories that arouse discussions and critical thinking when applied.i.e., feminist criticism, Marxist criticism, postcolonialism, and more. Students, especially students of literature, apply some of these theories in their research and project work at school.
Ultimately, as aforementioned, literary critics, with the roles they play, are essential in the literary space and more regard should be given to them. Provided that they help us know the right books to read before squandering our cash on kitsch. Sometimes we buy books based on the opinion of those that have read the book. So when a debate is going on about a particular book or piece of literature and criticisms are flying around with keen interest, we are forced to spend some cash at some good bookshop to satisfy our curiosity. This is what literary critics can make one do. Therefore, there is one thing to note for sure, and that is that as long as literature thrives, there will always be critics with their criticism.
But a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style. “Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.” by Benjamin Disraeli.