The End Of Literary Theory

Author : Stein Haugom Olsen
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1987-03-19
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780521333269

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The End of Literary Theory by Stein Haugom Olsen Pdf

The essays in this collection are concerned with the philosophical problems that arise in connection with the understanding and evaluation of literature - such problems as the relationship between the work and the author (authorial intention), between the work and the world (reference and truth), the definition of a literary work, and the nature of literary theory itself. Professor Olsen attacks many of the orthodoxies of modern literary theory, in particular the enterprise to build a comprehensive systematic literary theory. His own work is informed by a consistent perspective: the assumption that literature is a social institution governed by conventions, and that answers to problems of interpretation and appreciation can be found only through an analysis of these conventions. This is an important book for scholars and students of literary theory and philosophy, especially for those who see an ever-increasing cross-fertilization between the two disciplines.

Author : Galin Tihanov
Publisher : Stanford University Press
Page : 407 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2019-07-30
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781503609730

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The Birth and Death of Literary Theory by Galin Tihanov Pdf

Until the 1940s, when awareness of Russian Formalism began to spread, literary theory remained almost exclusively a Russian and Eastern European invention. The Birth and Death of Literary Theory tells the story of literary theory by focusing on its formative interwar decades in Russia. Nowhere else did literary theory emerge and peak so early, even as it shared space with other modes of reflection on literature. A comprehensive account of every important Russian trend between the world wars, the book traces their wider impact in the West during the 20th and 21st centuries. Ranging from Formalism and Bakhtin to the legacy of classic literary theory in our post-deconstruction, world literature era, Galin Tihanov provides answers to two fundamental questions: What does it mean to think about literature theoretically, and what happens to literary theory when this option is no longer available? Asserting radical historicity, he offers a time-limited way of reflecting upon literature—not in order to write theory's obituary but to examine its continuous presence across successive regimes of relevance. Engaging and insightful, this is a book for anyone interested in theory's origins and in what has happened since its demise.

Author : Frank Kermode
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2000-04-06
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780198031154

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The Sense of an Ending by Frank Kermode Pdf

Frank Kermode is one of our most distinguished critics of English literature. Here, he contributes a new epilogue to his collection of classic lectures on the relationship of fiction to age-old concepts of apocalyptic chaos and crisis. Prompted by the approach of the millennium, he revisits the book which brings his highly concentrated insights to bear on some of the most unyielding philosophical and aesthetic enigmas. Examining the works of writers from Plato to William Burrows, Kermode shows how they have persistently imposed their "fictions" upon the face of eternity and how these have reflected the apocalyptic spirit. Kermode then discusses literature at a time when new fictive explanations, as used by Spenser and Shakespeare, were being devised to fit a world of uncertain beginning and end. He goes on to deal perceptively with modern literature with "traditionalists" such as Yeats, Eliot, and Joyce, as well as contemporary "schismatics," the French "new novelists," and such seminal figures as Jean-Paul Sartre and Samuel Beckett. Whether weighing the difference between modern and earlier modes of apocalyptic thought, considering the degeneration of fiction into myth, or commenting on the vogue of the Absurd, Kermode is distinctly lucid, persuasive, witty, and prodigal of ideas.

Author : Francesco Campana
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2019-11-28
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783030313951

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The End of Literature, Hegel, and the Contemporary Novel by Francesco Campana Pdf

This book explores the concept of the end of literature through the lens of Hegel's philosophy of art. In his version of Hegel's 'end of art' thesis, Arthur Danto claimed that contemporary art has abandoned its distinctive sensitive and emotive features to become increasingly reflective. Contemporary art has become a question of philosophical reflection on itself and on the world, thus producing an epochal change in art history. The core idea of this book is that this thesis applies quite well to all forms of art except one, namely literature: literature resists its 'end'. Unlike other arts, which have experienced significant fractures in the contemporary world, Campana proposes that literature has always known how to renew itself in order to retain its distinguishing features, so much so that in a way it has always come to terms with its own end. Analysing the distinct character of literature, this book proposes a new and original interpretation of the 'end of art' thesis, showing how it can be used as a key conceptual framework to understand the contemporary novel.

Author : M. A. R. Habib
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 848 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2008-04-15
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781405148849

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A History of Literary Criticism by M. A. R. Habib Pdf

This comprehensive guide to the history of literary criticism from antiquity to the present day provides an authoritative overview of the major movements, figures, and texts of literary criticism, as well as surveying their cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts. Supplies the cultural, historical and philosophical background to the literary criticism of each era Enables students to see the development of literary criticism in context Organised chronologically, from classical literary criticism through to deconstruction Considers a wide range of thinkers and events from the French Revolution to Freud’s views on civilization Can be used alongside any anthology of literary criticism or as a coherent stand-alone introduction

Author : Mary Klages
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2012-03-29
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780826442673

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Key Terms in Literary Theory by Mary Klages Pdf

Guide to key terms in literary theory - designed to make difficult terms, concepts and theorists accessible and understandable.

Author : Alvin B. Kernan
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 1990-01-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 0300052383

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The Death of Literature by Alvin B. Kernan Pdf

Looks at political and critical attacks on literature, suggests that traditional literature is no longer useful to our technological society, and argues that a new concept of literature is needed

Author : Julian Wolfreys
Publisher : Edinburgh University Press
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2013-12-11
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780748668403

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Key Concepts in Literary Theory by Julian Wolfreys Pdf

Key Concepts in Literary Theory presents the student of literary and critical studies with a broad range of accessible, precise and authoritative definitions of the most significant terms and concepts currently used in psychoanalytic, poststructuralist, Marxist, feminist, and postcolonial literary studies. The volume also provides clear and useful discussions of the main areas of literary, critical and cultural theory, supported by bibliographies and an expanded chronology of major thinkers. Accompanying the chronology are short biographies of major works by each critic or theorist.The third edition of this reliable reference work is both revised and expanded, including:* more than 100 additional terms and concepts defined.* newly defined terms include keywords from the social sciences, cultural studies and psychoanalysis and the addition of a broader selection of classical rhetorical terms.* an expanded chronology, with additional entries and a broader historical and cultural range.* expanded bibliographies including key texts by major critics.

Author : Mary Klages
Publisher : Red Wheel/Weiser
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2017-05-15
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781939994615

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Literary Theory For Beginners by Mary Klages Pdf

Have you heard the terms structuralism and deconstruction and postmodernism but aren’t really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism but are still feeling lost? Here’s the book you need to sort it all out—and enjoy doing so! In Literary Theory For Beginners, Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon, and explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her breadth of knowledge, her unique skills as a teacher, and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us, and how it reflects history, culture, and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature—not just reading it—methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, postcolonialism, and, yes, postmodernism With wit and wisdom, Klages takes on the two most frequently asked questions about literature and makes it all fun: What does the work MEAN? (What is the deeper, hidden, or symbolic meaning? Did the author intend all these meanings? Are any and all meanings present in the text? Are all meanings equally valid?) What does the work DO? (Why is literature important? What effect does it have on the reader? How can literature be a force for social change?) So sit back, relax, and take it all in!

Author : Joseph Hillis Miller
Publisher : Stanford University Press
Page : 253 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780804742160

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Speech Acts in Literature by Joseph Hillis Miller Pdf

This book demonstrates the presence of literature within speech act theory and the utility of speech act theory in reading literary works. Though the founding text of speech act theory, J. L. Austin's How to Do Things with Words, repeatedly expels literature from the domain of felicitous speech acts, literature is an indispensable presence within Austin's book. It contains many literary references but also uses as essential tools literary devices of its own: imaginary stories that serve as examples and imaginary dialogues that forestall potential objections. How to Do Things with Words is not the triumphant establishment of a fully elaborated theory of speech acts, but the story of a failure to do that, the story of what Austin calls a "bogging down." After an introductory chapter that explores Austin's book in detail, the two following chapters show how Jacques Derrida and Paul de Man in different ways challenge Austin's speech act theory generally and his expulsion of literature specifically. Derrida shows that literature cannot be expelled from speech acts—rather that what he calls "iterability" means that any speech act may be literature. De Man asserts that speech act theory involves a radical dissociation between the cognitive and positing dimensions of language, what Austin calls language's "constative" and "performative" aspects. Both Derrida and de Man elaborate new speech act theories that form the basis of new notions of responsible and effective politico-ethical decision and action. The fourth chapter explores the role of strong emotion in effective speech acts through a discussion of passages in Derrida, Wittgenstein, and Austin. The final chapter demonstrates, through close readings of three passages in Proust, the way speech act theory can be employed in an illuminating way in the accurate reading of literary works.

Author : Deborah Appleman
Publisher : Teachers College Press
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2015-04-28
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780807773550

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Critical Encounters in Secondary English by Deborah Appleman Pdf

Because of the emphasis placed on nonfiction and informational texts by the Common Core State Standards, literature teachers all over the country are re-evaluating their curriculum and looking for thoughtful ways to incorporate nonfiction into their courses. They are also rethinking their pedagogy as they consider ways to approach texts that are outside the usual fare of secondary literature classrooms. The Third Edition of Critical Encounters in Secondary English provides an integrated approach to incorporating nonfiction and informational texts into the literature classroom. Grounded in solid theory with new field-tested classroom activities, this new edition shows teachers how to adapt practices that have always defined good pedagogy to the new generation of standards for literature instruction. New for the Third Edition: A new preface and new introduction that discusses the CCSS and their implications for literature instruction. Lists of nonfiction texts at the end of each chapter related to the critical lens described in that chapter. A new chapter on new historicism, a critical lens uniquely suited to interpreting nonfiction and informational sources. New classroom activities created and field-tested specifically for use with nonfiction texts. Additional activities that demonstrate how informational texts can be used in conjunction with traditional literary texts. “What a smart and useful book!” —Mike Rose, University of California, Los Angeles “[This book] has enriched my understanding both of teaching literature and of how I read. I know of no other book quite like it.” —Michael W. Smith, Temple University, College of Education “I have recommended Critical Encounters to every group of preservice and practicing teachers that I have taught or worked with and I will continue to do so.” —Ernest Morrell, director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME), Teachers College, Columbia University

Author : Sara Upstone
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2017-05-04
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781473611931

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Literary Theory: A Complete Introduction by Sara Upstone Pdf

Literary theory has now become integral to how we produce literary criticism. When critics write about a text, they no longer think just about the biographical or historical contexts of the work, but also about the different approaches that literary theory offers. By making use of these, they create new interpretations of the text that would not otherwise be possible. In your own reading and writing, literary theory fosters new avenues into the text. It allows you to make informed comments about the language and form of literature, but also about the core themes - concepts such as gender, sexuality, the self, race, and class - which a text might explore. Literary theory gives you an almost limitless number of texts to work into your own response, ensuring that your interpretation is truly original. This is why, although literary theory can initially appear alienating and difficult, it is something to get really excited about. Imagine you are standing in the centre of a circular room, with a whole set of doors laid out around you. Each doorway opens on to a new and illuminating field of knowledge that can change how you think about what you have read: perhaps in just a small way, but also perhaps dramatically and irrevocably. You can open one door, or many of them. The choice is yours. Put the knowledge you gain together with your own interpretation, however, and you have a unique and potentially fascinating response. Each chapter in Literary Theory: A Complete Introduction covers a key school of thought, progressing to a point at which you'll have a full understanding of the range of responses and approaches available for textual interpretation. As well as focusing on such core areas as Marxism, Modernism, Postmodernism, Structuralism and Poststructuralism, this introduction brings in recent developments such as Eco and Ethical Criticism and Humanisms.

Author : Terry Eagleton
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 1985
Category : Criticism
ISBN : 9780192853189

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Literary Theory by Terry Eagleton Pdf

Author : Terry Eagleton
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2011-11-30
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781118306291

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Literary Theory by Terry Eagleton Pdf

A quarter of a century on from its original publication,Literary Theory: An Introduction still conjures thesubversion, excitement and exoticism that characterized theorythrough the 1960s and 70s, when it posed an unprecedented challengeto the literary establishment. Eagleton has added a new preface tothis anniversary edition to address more recent developments inliterary studies, including what he describes as “the growthof a kind of anti-theory”, and the idea that literary theoryhas been institutionalized. Insightful and enlightening,Literary Theory: An Introduction remains the essential guideto the field. 25th Anniversary Edition of Terry Eagleton’s classicintroduction to literary theory First published in 1983, and revised in 1996 to includematerial on developments in feminist and cultural theory Has served as an inspiration to generations of students andteachers Continues to function as arguably the definitive undergraduatetextbook on literary theory Reissue includes a new foreword by Eagleton himself, reflectingon the impact and enduring success of the book, and on developmentsin literary theory since it was first published

Author : Gregory S. Jay
Publisher : Cornell University Press
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2018-09-05
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781501731273

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American Literature and the Culture Wars by Gregory S. Jay Pdf

Gregory S. Jay boldly challenges the future of American literary studies. Why pursue the study and teaching of a distinctly American literature? What is the appropriate purpose and scope of such pursuits? Is the notion of a traditional canon of great books out of date? Where does American literature leave off and Mexican or Caribbean or Canadian or postcolonial literature begin? Are today's campus conflicts fueled more by economics or ideology? Jay addresses these questions and others relating to American literary studies to explain why this once arcane academic discipline found itself so often in the news during the culture wars of the 1990s. While asking some skeptical questions about new directions and practices, Jay argues forcefully in favor of opening the borders of American literary and cultural analysis. He relates the struggle for representation in literary theory to a larger cultural clash over the meaning and justice of representation, then shows how this struggle might expand both the contents and the teaching of American literature. In an account of the vexed legacy of the Declaration of Independence, he provides a historical context for the current quarrels over literature and politics. Prominent among these debates are those over multiculturalism, which Jay takes up in an essay on the impasses of identity politics. In closing, he considers how the field of comparative American cultural studies might be constructed.