Retired Principal, English Literature scholar, who is also music critic Proposes ‘A1-A2-A3’ Model to Simplify Literary Criticism, Seeks Wider Academic Attention
Shimla: Taking literary theory out of dense academic silos, retired principal Ashwini Kumar Loathta has proposed a new “A1-A2-A3 Approach”—a simple, structured framework aimed at making literary criticism accessible to students and scholars alike.
But even as the idea gains local attention, a larger question looms: will today’s giants of English literature take note?
Loathta, former Principal of GSSS Dhabas in Chopal in Shimla district, argues that literary criticism should not remain fragmented across competing schools of thought. Instead, it should be organised into a clear, practical system.
“No single critical approach is complete in itself. A literary critic must be conversant with every approach,” he writes, pitching his model as an all-inclusive method.
A Simple 3-Step Way to Read Literature
Loathta breaks down literary criticism into three easy parts:
A1 – Author (Who wrote it?)
Focus on the writer’s life, emotions, and intent.
Examples include biographical, expressive, legislative, and intentional fallacy approaches.
Simple idea: Understand the writer to understand the work.
A2 – Artefact (What is written?)
Focus only on the text—its language, structure, and meaning.
Examples include aesthetic, mimetic, objective (New Criticism), structural, post-structural, deconstruction, and semiotics.
Simple idea: Study the text itself, line by line.
A3 – Audience (Who reads it?)
Focus on how readers and society interpret the text.
Examples include psychological, sociological, philosophical, linguistic, reader-response, cultural, and impressionistic approaches.
Simple idea: Meaning changes with the reader.
One Framework, Many Approaches
Loathta says his model does not reject existing theories but brings them together under one roof.
“A literary critic shall explain and evaluate a piece of literature by focusing on each parameter one by one,” he explains.
He even suggests a sequence—starting with the author (A1), moving to the text (A2), and ending with the audience (A3)—while skipping irrelevant aspects.
Big Question: Will Academia Listen?
While the model is being seen as a practical tool for classrooms, its real test lies beyond—in whether it finds acceptance among established scholars and literary heavyweights in the English-speaking world.
Academic circles are often slow to embrace grassroots frameworks, especially those emerging outside elite institutions. Yet, Loathia’s approach, with its clarity and inclusiveness, could appeal to educators looking for simpler teaching tools.
Whether it enters mainstream discourse or remains a niche pedagogical experiment is a question only time—and the response of literary academia—will answer.
Open Invitation to Scholars
Loathta has made his work accessible to a wider audience and is open to engagement and feedback from scholars, teachers, and students.
He can be accessed through Himbumail.com, where his ideas have been shared for public discussion and academic review.
A Modest Yet Ambitious Attempt
Admitting that the method may initially feel lengthy, Loathta remains confident of its long-term value.
“It may prove a tedious brain teaser to novices… but sufficient practice shall yield aesthetic pleasure,” he concludes.
In a field often criticised for being overly abstract, this retired principal’s effort stands out as a ground-level attempt to democratise literary criticism—clear, structured, and rooted in classroom reality.