Sandwich Literary Criticism

Sandwich Literary Criticism

Kaitlyn Mears ENC1102 *Responses to classmate's midterms were submitted through the late-work module since I could not submit them on the midterm discussion board.

Sandwich Literary Criticism

What is it?

Sandwich literary criticism explores the idea of a sandwich representing the protagonist’s complexity in a literary work. It serves as a metaphor for the layers of a character’s story, with the “bread” representing how the reader is first introduced to the character, and the “fillings” of the sandwich being the events he or she goes through during the story. The “fillings” of the sandwich give the character greater depth and help to give the audience an emotional connection to them.

How does it compare to 3 criticisms we've discussed? (1 of 2)

Feminist literary criticism, Marxist literary criticism, and Archetypal literary criticism

Feminist Literary Criticism Feminist literary criticism can be described as “the reflection of women’s situation[s] by themselves in [the] long term and achievement of their specific and practical action” (Guo 453). This criticism shares similar ideas with the sandwich literary criticism, focusing more on the situations that women in particular might go through, and occasionally brings up political ideology in texts that involve it. Feminist literary criticism could be used alongside sandwich literary criticism to give a strong female protagonist a deep and emotional backstory that develops as the story continues.

Marxist Literary Criticism Marxist literary criticism is “a body of ideas which sees all human history as the history of class struggle” (Birchall 92). It involves focusing on issues such as power and class struggles that are demonstrated in literature. Sandwich literary criticism might deal with a character in a work facing social class issues or economic problems that help build his or her passion and further their character development.

The 12 Jungian Archetypes

How does it compare to 3 literary criticisms we've discussed? (2 of 2)

Archetypal Literary Criticism Archetypal literary criticism utilizes recurring character types and symbols to analyze a literary work. The archetypes that are common in archetypal literary criticism “are the contents of the collective unconscious that can be found across cultures,” making these archetypes universal and understandable to people across the world (Gijo & George 55). Sandwich literary criticism differs from archetypal literary criticism because the events that a character goes through will most likely be different in every work. Two different characters will not go through the exact same events and end up with the same fate in two completely separate stories. The two criticisms might similarly deal with archetypes such as heroes or rebels, where the characters face challenges that make them question their own morals, building who they are as a person.

How can it be used to analyze literature, art, or movies?

Literature and Movies/Television

Movies and Television In movies and television, sandwich literary criticism can be used for analysis by paying close attention to the impact an event can have on a character. With both animation and live action, it can be easier to interpret how a character feels because the viewer gets a visual representation in addition to words. A good example of this criticism in an animated show is David Martinez in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The viewer first meets David as a troubled teenager in Night City, a place that is overrun by corrupt corporations and gang violence. By the end of the first episode, he is already faced with trauma, having watched his own mother die. David chose to join a crew of mercenary outlaws in an attempt to escape the poverty and trauma he faced and fought against major corporations and other gangs until his unfortunate death in the final episode. The unfortunate events David dealt with throughout the show brought him from being a troubled student at the top of his class to being killed by his own thirst for justice, and serve as a good example of sandwich literary criticism.

Literature Sandwich literary criticism can be used to analyze works of literature by taking an in-depth look at a character and analyzing how they have changed throughout the story. For example, in The Hunger Games franchise by Suzanne Collins, a young girl named Katniss Everdeen is forced to go from trying to help her family live a relatively normal life in a dystopian society to becoming the leader of a revolution. Throughout the novel, the reader learns more about Katniss and watches as she experiences many hardships and traumatic events, all while unintentionally becoming the leader that her country needed.

search your criticism on Google.

What shows up?

The main thing that came up when I looked up sandwich literary criticism was the “sandwich technique” or giving feedback to a person. This involves beginning with a positive comment on a work or project, followed by any critiques of it, and lastly another positive comment. It is meant to provide constructive feedback or criticism without dismantling the entire piece or greatly offending the creator. This technique is not at all similar to my criticism, seeing as it only shares a similar name.

Who invented it?

My name is Kaitlyn Mears, and I am the inventor of this criticism. I’m originally from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, which is a small suburban area just outside of Philadelphia. I moved to the Florida Keys when I was fifteen, and graduated from Coral Shores High School in 2024. I also own three black labradors of varying ages. Some of my interests and hobbies include playing video games and scuba diving. My favorite genres are science fiction and horror.

When coming up with this idea, I wanted to do something that involved the emotional connection that a reader feels when they become more attached to a character, possibly because they relate or simply because they like the character. Sometimes when a person watches a show, he or she might initially pick a favorite character based on looks, but later the favorite character is changed to someone they relate to based on their trauma or similarities. I figured the idea of a sandwich fit well, since with many sandwiches you might not see all of the fillings until you take the bread off and look inside.

List 2 questions your criticism could answer for any art or literature

How did the events that took place during the story enhance the emotional depth of the protagonist?

How does the introduction of a character (the bread) shape the audience’s initial expectations for his or her development throughout the story?

Work Cited

Birchall, Ian H. “Marxism and Literature.” The Sociological Review, vol. 25, no. 1, 1977, pp. 92, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467- 954X.1977.tb03233.x.

Gijo, Divya, and Kevin George. “Archetypal Criticism: A Brief Study of the Discipline and the Sempiternal Relevance of its Pioneers.” International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, vol. 6, no. 2, 2021, pp. 55, https://ijels.com/upload_document/issue_files/11IJELS-102202149- Archetypal.pdf.

Guo, Rongqiong. “Brief Analysis of Feminist Literary Criticism.” Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, vol. 300, 2018, pp.453, https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/erss- 18/55912763.