UNDERSTANDING FORMALISM AND NEW CRITICISM: TEXTUAL AUTONOMY, CLOSE READING, AND CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
This article introduces readers to Formalism and New Criticism, the movements that transformed literary study by focusing on “the text itself” and developing close reading as a rigorous method. It clearly explains key concepts like literariness, defamiliarization, fabula and syuzhet, organic unity, and the fallacies of intention and affect, using accessible examples and classroom-oriented explanations. The article also explores the strengths, limitations, and lasting legacy of these approaches, showing how their methods still shape narratology, stylistics, film studies, and digital humanities today.











