The Chicago school of literary criticism, also known as Neo-Aristotelianism, was developed in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s at the University of Chicago. It is sometimes considered a type of formalism, but it is more often described as an opposing school of thought to new criticism. Whereas the "new critics" were heavily invested in form, and in what Aristotle calls diction, the Chicago school took a more holistic approach to literary analysis. They followed Aristotle's hierarchical list of the narrative elements. According to Aristotle and the Chicago school, the most important aspect of a work was plot, followed by character, thought, and then diction. Aristotle's last two aspects - melody and spectacle - are less important to the Chicago school. Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. ... Sometimes referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Events and trends Technology John T. Thompson invents Thompson submachine gun, also known as Tommy Gun. ... The University of Chicago is a private co-educational university located in Chicago, Illinois. ... New Criticism was the dominant trend in English and American literary criticism of the early twentieth century, from the 1920s to the early 1960s. ... Aristotle (sculpture) Aristotle (Greek: Αριστοτέλης Aristotelēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher. ... Diction is the art of enunciating with clarity, of speaking in such a way that each word is clearly heard. ... Aristotle (sculpture) Aristotle (Greek: Αριστοτέλης Aristotelēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher. ... Plot in literature, theater, movies According to Aristotles Poetics, a plot in literature is the arrangement of incidents that (ideally) each follow plausibly from the other. ... ...

The Chicago school attempted to expand on Aristotle's notion of catharsis, employing it to talk generally about the effect that dramatic works produce, and the moral implications of these effects. Their readings were often broadly humanist. As a result, the Chicago school was criticized for depending too heavily on broad generalizations about the nature of humanity for its readings and ignoring the diversity of culture that exists in practice. Later Chicago critics attempted to embrace pluralism instead of humanism, but they were still criticized as taking an essentially Eurocentric position. Catharsis is a sudden emotional breakdown or climax that constitutes overwhelming feelings of great pity, sorrow, laughter, or any extreme change in emotion that results in the renewal, restoration and revitalization for living. ... Humanism is a system of thought that defines a socio-political doctrine (-ism) whose bounds exceed those of locally developed cultures, to include all of humanity and all issues common to human beings. ... In the social sciences, pluralism is a framework of interaction in which groups show sufficient respect and tolerance of each other, that they fruitfully coexist and interact without conflict or assimilation. ... Eurocentrism is the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing emphasis on European (and, generally, Western) concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures. ...

Major Chicago school critics included R.S. Crane and Elder Olson. More recently, Wayne Booth has carried on the tradition of the Chicago school, as has James Phelan. Major works include Olson's Tragedy and the Theory of Drama, the collection Critics and Criticism edited by Crane, and Booth's The Rhetoric of Fiction. Wayne Booth is a Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Chicago. ... There are several prominent people named James Phelan, including three American politicians: James Phelan, Sr. ...