New Criticism & Formalism (3.2 and 3.3)

A "new critics" and a "formalists" approach to Ch.1 of S-Town

As a "new critic" I would read the passage fully and definitely have a heavy focus on who the narrator is and how their point of view effects the story. I would also be looking for ways to absolutely resolve the story once I reach its conclusion. For example in S-Town, I might be studying why Brian is the narrator and why he is tying in concepts such as depression. I would not be focused on generalizations and would gear my studies on particular pieces of the text.

As a formalist, I would do a complete reverse of that and focus in on generalize thoughts and theories throughout the reading. One specific thing as a formalist I might focus on is the imagery or rhythms that remain consistent through the text. In S-Town, a formalist might focus on the constant imagery of the clocks and read into the consistency.