Which critical method examines a text in isolation, without considering external contexts?

Which critical method examines a text in isolation, without considering external contexts?

• A. New Historicism
• B. New Criticism
• C. Aestheticism
• D. Trope

Answer: (B)

Examining a text in isolation, treating it as autonomous and self-contained, is the hallmark of this approach. It emphasizes close reading of the text’s formal elements—imagery, diction, figurative language, sound, syntax, and structure—and how these parts interrelate to produce meaning within the work itself. External factors like the author’s life, historical context, or social milieu are set aside because the meaning is found in the text alone. This perspective also upholds ideas like organic unity and the notion that meaning arises from the relationships among the text’s parts, not from outside sources. That makes it the best fit for the idea of analyzing a work without considering external contexts. The other methods focus on context or broader artistic experience; New Historicism foregrounds historical/biographical context, Aestheticism centers on art for art’s sake and beauty, and Trope is a term for a figure of speech rather than a critical method.

Examining a text in isolation, treating it as autonomous and self-contained, is the hallmark of this approach. It emphasizes close reading of the text’s formal elements—imagery, diction, figurative language, sound, syntax, and structure—and how these parts interrelate to produce meaning within the work itself. External factors like the author’s life, historical context, or social milieu are set aside because the meaning is found in the text alone. This perspective also upholds ideas like organic unity and the notion that meaning arises from the relationships among the text’s parts, not from outside sources. That makes it the best fit for the idea of analyzing a work without considering external contexts. The other methods focus on context or broader artistic experience; New Historicism foregrounds historical/biographical context, Aestheticism centers on art for art’s sake and beauty, and Trope is a term for a figure of speech rather than a critical method.