The Touchstone method, also known as the Touchstone technique, is a concept and approach used in various fields such as education, literature analysis, and self-reflection. It involves using a specific reference point or benchmark, referred to as a “touchstone,” to evaluate or measure the quality, value, or characteristics of something else. The term “touchstone” originated from a black stone used in ancient times to test the purity of gold and silver alloys.
Key Elements of the Touchstone Method:
In literature and analysis, the Touchstone method refers to the practice of using a well-regarded work, such as a classic novel, as a standard against which other works can be evaluated. By comparing a particular work to the touchstone, one can assess its literary merit, themes, style, and overall effectiveness. The Touchstone method can also be applied in education. In this context, a touchstone might be an established set of standards or criteria used to evaluate student performance or assess the quality of educational materials.
Historical Background:
The term touchstone became popularized in literary criticism by Matthew Arnold, a British poet and cultural critic, who used it to refer to works of literature that serve as a standard for evaluating other works. In his critical essay The Function of Criticism at the Present Time (1864), Arnold argued that critics should compare literary works to a “touchstone” or an exemplary work, which would help them maintain high standards in literature and art. For Arnold, works like Homer’s Iliad or the plays of Sophocles acted as touchstones in the Western literary canon.
Applications:
Literary Criticism: The touchstone technique is often used in literary criticism to compare a writer’s style, themes, and substance against the best works of literature. For example, a critic might evaluate a contemporary novel by comparing it to the works of Charles Dickens or Virginia Woolf to understand its thematic complexity or narrative technique.
Art and Culture: In visual art or theater, the touchstone method could involve comparing an artwork to the works of a master artist like Michelangelo, Van Gogh, or Picasso to assess its quality or emotional resonance.
Also read: Definition and examples of Peripeteia and Anagnorisis