Literature And Understanding

Author : Jon Phelan
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 181 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2020-10-08
Category : Education
ISBN : 9781000201147

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Literature and Understanding by Jon Phelan Pdf

Literature and Understanding investigates the cognitive gain from literature by focussing on a reader’s close analysis of a literary text. It examines the meaning of ‘literature’, outlines the most prominent positions in the literary cognitivism debate, explores the practice of close reading from a philosophical perspective, provides a fresh account of what we mean by ‘understanding’ and in so doing opens up a new area of research in the philosophy of literature. This book provides a different reply to the challenge that we can’t learn anything worthwhile from reading literary fiction. It makes the innovative case that reading literary fiction as literature rather than as fiction stimulates five relevant senses of understanding. The book uses examples of irony, metaphor, play with perspective and ambiguity to illustrate this contention. Before arguing that these five senses of understanding bridge the gap between our understanding of a literary text and our understanding of the world beyond that text. The book will be of great interest for researchers, scholars and post-graduate students in the fields of aesthetics, literary theory, literature in education and pedagogy.

Author : Walter B. Kalaidjian,Judith Roof,Stephen Watt
Publisher : Wadsworth Publishing Company
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0618475095

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Understanding Literature by Walter B. Kalaidjian,Judith Roof,Stephen Watt Pdf

Understanding Literature is an innovative anthology and technology package representing the next generation of literary pedagogy for introduction to literature and literature for composition courses. Built on a balanced foundation of canonical and nontraditional reading selections, this text includes discussions of the formal literary elements--and integrates relevant and accessible coverage of contemporary criticism. This unique, integrated coverage of contemporary critical approaches offers students a richer, more engaging introduction to reading critically and writing about literature.

Author : David Owen,Cristina Pividori
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 230 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2021-12-09
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781527578067

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Theoretically Speaking about Literature by David Owen,Cristina Pividori Pdf

Literary theory has become such a central part of the study of literature, particularly at university level, that a solid familiarity with its basic ideas is now essential. This book will appeal to students who may find the many theoretical approaches that they encounter to be complex, highly demanding, and difficult to incorporate into their own work, and will also be of interest to teachers who are trying to guide their students towards a clear and constructive understanding of this ambit. Through focus on a single study text, discussed from the perspective of eighteen distinct theories that are presented and explained in a consistent manner throughout, readers are given a practical and comprehensible insight into the ideas and beliefs that underpin critical interpretation.

Author : Jukka Mikkonen
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 191 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2022-10-20
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781350229013

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Philosophy, Literature and Understanding by Jukka Mikkonen Pdf

Challenging existing methodological conceptions of the analytic approach to aesthetics, Jukka Mikkonen brings together philosophy, literary studies and cognitive psychology to offer a new theory on the cognitive value of reading fiction. Philosophy, Literature and Understanding defends the epistemic significance of narratives, arguing that it should be explained in terms of understanding rather than knowledge. Mikkonen formulates understanding as a cognitive process, which he connects to narrative imagining in order to assert that narrative is a central tool for communicating understanding. Demonstrating the effects that literary works have on their readers, he examines academic critical analysis, responses of the reading public and nonfictional writings that include autobiographical testimony to their writer's influences and attitudes to life. In doing so, he provides empirical evidence of the cognitive benefits of literature and of how readers demonstrate the growth of their understanding. By drawing on the written testimony of the reader, this book is an important intervention into debates on the value of literature that incorporates understanding in new and imaginative ways.

Author : Rita Felski
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2011-09-23
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781444359633

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Uses of Literature by Rita Felski Pdf

Uses of Literature bridges the gap between literary theory and common-sense beliefs about why we read literature. Explores the diverse motives and mysteries of why we read Offers four different ways of thinking about why we read literature - for recognition, enchantment, knowledge, and shock Argues for a new “phenomenology” in literary studies that incorporates the historical and social dimensions of reading Includes examples of literature from a wide range of national literary traditions

Author : Peter Swirski
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2007-02-12
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781134104406

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Of Literature and Knowledge by Peter Swirski Pdf

"Of Literature and Knowledge looks ... like an important advance in this new and very important subject... literature is about to become even more interesting." – Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. Framed by the theory of evolution, this colourful and engaging volume presents a new understanding of the mechanisms by which we transfer information from narrative make-believe to real life. Ranging across game theory and philosophy of science, as well as poetics and aesthetics, Peter Swirski explains how literary fictions perform as a systematic tool of enquiry, driven by thought experiments. Crucially, he argues for a continuum between the cognitive tools employed by scientists, philosophers and scholars or writers of fiction. The result is a provocative study of our talent and propensity for creating imaginary worlds, different from the world we know yet invaluable to our understanding of it. Of Literature and Knowledge is a noteworthy challenge to contemporary critical theory, arguing that by bridging the gap between literature and science we might not only reinvigorate literary studies but, above all, further our understanding of literature.

Author : Erdem Erinç,Ali Küçükler,Seniye Vural
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 205 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2018-12-17
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781527523708

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Understanding Culture through Language and Literature by Erdem Erinç,Ali Küçükler,Seniye Vural Pdf

Within its wide boundaries, culture creates written and visual reflection areas for itself. As the reflection area expands through time, space and nature, it becomes richer, and, in doing so, it needs to be appreciated. The cultural reflection of historical accumulation leaves us in front of an immense mirror. In general terms, this book presents the reader with the intertwined relationships between culture and literature, culture and language, and culture and history or art history. More specifically, it investigates the joy of a birth, a funeral ritual, the merriness of a melody, and the taste of a meal as they are reflected within the texts that Asia has accumulated throughout its history. Its central concern is the investigation of issues related to culture and how it is reflected in literature, language, or history in a particular place.

Author : Peter Hunt
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 1416 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2004-08-02
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781134436835

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International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature by Peter Hunt Pdf

Children's literature continues to be one of the most rapidly expanding and exciting of interdisciplinary academic studies, of interest to anyone concerned with literature, education, internationalism, childhood or culture in general. The second edition of Peter Hunt's bestselling International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature offers comprehensive coverage of the subject across the world, with substantial, accessible, articles by specialists and world-ranking experts. Almost everything is here, from advanced theory to the latest practice – from bibliographical research to working with books and children with special needs. This edition has been expanded and includes over fifty new articles. All of the other articles have been updated, substantially revised or rewritten, or have revised bibliographies. New topics include Postcolonialism, Comparative Studies, Ancient Texts, Contemporary Children's Rhymes and Folklore, Contemporary Comics, War, Horror, Series Fiction, Film, Creative Writing, and 'Crossover' literature. The international section has been expanded to reflect world events, and now includes separate articles on countries such as the Baltic states, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Iran, Korea, Mexico and Central America, Slovenia, and Taiwan.

Author : Barry Laga
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2018-09-21
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781351357470

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Using Key Passages to Understand Literature, Theory and Criticism by Barry Laga Pdf

Using Key Passages to Understand Literature, Theory and Criticism is a completely fresh and innovative approach to teaching and learning literary theory: using short passages of theory to make sense of literary and cultural texts. It focuses on the key concepts that help readers understand literature and cultural events in new and provocative ways. Covering a wide variety of iconic and contemporary theorists, the book offers a broad chronological and global overview, including thirty passages from theorists such as Viktor Shklovsky, Roland Barthes, Judith Butler, Diana Fuss, Jean Baudrillard, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Michel Foucault, Monique Wittig, and Eve Sedgwick. Built on the premise that scholars use theory pragmatically, Using Key Passages to Understand Literature, Theory and Criticism identifies problems, puzzles, and questions readers may encounter when they read a story, watch a film, or look at artwork. It explains, in detail, thirty concepts that help readers make sense of these works and invites students to apply the concepts to a range of writing and research projects. The textbook concludes by helping students read theory with an eye on finding productive passages and writing their own “theory chapter,” signaling a shift from student as critic to student as theorist. Used as a main text in introductory theory courses or as a supplement to any literature, film, theater, or art course, this book helps students read closely and think critically.

Author : Peter Hunt
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2006-05-17
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781134186587

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Understanding Children's Literature by Peter Hunt Pdf

Edited by Peter Hunt, a leading figure in the field, this book introduces the study of children’s literature, addressing theoretical questions as well as the most relevant critical approaches to the discipline. The fourteen chapters draw on insights from academic disciplines ranging from cultural and literary studies to education and psychology, and include an essay on what writers for children think about their craft. The result is a fascinating array of perspectives on key topics in children’s literature as well as an introduction to such diverse concerns as literacy, ideology, stylistics, feminism, history, culture and bibliotherapy. An extensive general bibliography is complemented by lists of further reading for each chapter and a glossary defines critical and technical terms, making the book accessible for those coming to the field or to a particular approach for the first time. In this second edition there are four entirely new chapters; contributors have revisited and revised or rewritten seven of the chapters to reflect new thinking, while the remaining three are classic essays, widely acknowledged to be definitive. Understanding Children’s Literature will not only be an invaluable guide for students of literature or education, but it will also inform and enrich the practice of teachers and librarians.

Author : Lisa See
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 473 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2014-06-03
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781408853269

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China Dolls by Lisa See Pdf

It's 1938 and the exclusive Oriental nightclub in San Francisco's Forbidden City is holding auditions for showgirls. In the dark, scandalous glamour of the club, three girls from very different backgrounds stumble into each other lives. All the girls have secrets. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl, has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family which has deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. Then, in a heartbeat, everything changes. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and paranoia, suspicion, and a shocking act of betrayal, threaten to destroy their lives.

Author : Jukka Mikkonen
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 191 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2021-04-08
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781350163980

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Philosophy, Literature and Understanding by Jukka Mikkonen Pdf

Challenging existing methodological conceptions of the analytic approach to aesthetics, Jukka Mikkonen brings together philosophy, literary studies and cognitive psychology to offer a new theory on the cognitive value of reading fiction. Philosophy, Literature and Understanding defends the epistemic significance of narratives, arguing that it should be explained in terms of understanding rather than knowledge. Mikkonen formulates understanding as a cognitive process, which he connects to narrative imagining in order to assert that narrative is a central tool for communicating understanding. Demonstrating the effects that literary works have on their readers, he examines academic critical analysis, responses of the reading public and nonfictional writings that include autobiographical testimony to their writer's influences and attitudes to life. In doing so, he provides empirical evidence of the cognitive benefits of literature and of how readers demonstrate the growth of their understanding. By drawing on the written testimony of the reader, this book is an important intervention into debates on the value of literature that incorporates understanding in new and imaginative ways.

Author : Richard Eldridge
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 536 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2009-03-27
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199724109

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The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Literature by Richard Eldridge Pdf

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Literature contains twenty-three newly commissioned essays by major philosophers and literary scholars that investigate literature as a form of attention to human life. Various forms of attention are considered under the headings of Genres (from Ancient Epic to the Novel and Contemporary Experimental Writing), Periods (from Realism and Romanticism to Postcolonialism), Devices and Powers (Imagination, Plot, Character, Style, and Emotion), and Contexts and Uses (in relation to inquiry, morality, and politics). In each case, the effort is to track and evaluate how specific modes and works of imaginative literature answer to important needs of human subjects for orientation, the articulation of interest in life, and the working through of emotion, within situations that are both sociohistorical and human. Hence these essays show how and why literature matters in manifold ways in and for human cultural life, and they show how philosophers and imaginative literary writers have continually both engaged with and criticized each other.

Author : Judith A. Langer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 171 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Education
ISBN : 0807734640

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Envisioning Literature by Judith A. Langer Pdf

Based on a series of studies of the ways in which literary imagination can be used to explore options, solve problems, and understand others, this book is about reading literature, thinking about it, and teaching it. The book, focusing on literature instruction, offers a way to rethink the contribution of literature to intelligent thinking as well as its role in schooling. Chapters in the book are: (1) Literary Thought and Literate Mind; (2) Building Envisionments; (3) The Nature of Literary Experience; (4) The Classroom as a Social Setting for Envisionment Building; (5) A Practical Pedagogy; (6) Strategies for Teaching; (7) Literature for Students the System Has Failed; (8) Learning Literary Concepts and Vocabulary; (9) Literature across the Curriculum; and (10) Closing Thoughts: Literature in School and Life. An afterword (Reflections of Teachers and Students) is attached. Contains 114 references. (RS)

Author : Richard Taylor
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 1981
Category : English literature
ISBN : UCSC:32106006531039

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Understanding the Elements of Literature by Richard Taylor Pdf