While new historicism lacks a specific or clearer methodology than other criticisms, its most beneficial aspects lie in its progressive outlook and openness to subjective analyses of historical events and texts. Unlike old historicism, new historicism recognizes the fact that a historical analysis can never be truly objective because each person brings their own influences with them when viewing a particular event of text in time. This has allowed for new analysis on old literature or events that were deemed to be objectively and fully analyzed before a new critic was able to think about it differently using new historicism. Possibly one of its greatest contributions to the literary community is the fact that it allowed for critics to rethink and look at an old historical event or text in a different way when its meaning was at one time thought to be set in stone.
As shown through professor Rydel’s essay on sexual violence in medieval narrative, there are many different ways to view a narrative and provide your own perspective on a topic. Professor Rydel was able to shine some light on the fact that there were actually some male writers who gave voice to women through their narrative such as Gilte did with his legend about Winifred. She uses a feminist lens to analyze the Golden Legend story, noting that “Winifred’s quick thinking, determination to escape, and desire to live result in a permutation of the genre that would have been highly visible within the context of the collection” (Rydel). This view that the depiction of Winifred’s story and a community coming together to give voice to her allowed for the transformation of a genre was qualified through a new historicism way of thinking as opposed to traditional historians who would’ve only been concerned about what happened and what that tells us about the history of the story.
I may consider incorporating new historicism into my own analysis of Paradise Lost and how it could have affected colonial America in terms of the anti-establishment rhetoric that was popular in 18th century America during its separation from England. While my Junior seminar project will be more specifically focusing in on reader-response criticism to Paradise Lost, I can incorporate larger ideas from new historicism such as personal identity being shaped by the culture in which it emerges to help explain Milton’s narrative decisions and literary techniques.

Rydel, Courtney. “Lengendary Resistance: Critiquing Rape Culture in Virgin Martyr Passions.”