Theory of Literature

[Kose]

So, I've been planning this massive research on 20th century literature, which I would like to present at the end of the term. I've been wondering which theory books you would recommend me to use as a basis of my research?

[Winifred]

Here is some background on general lit crit, which you may need:
http://classiclit.about.com/od/literarytheorycriticism/tp/aatp_litcrit.htm

Then, you don't specify what 20th century literary criticism you are interested in: American, feminist, other countries, etc, etc. Does your term end before Christmas?

Don't be offended, I am the Queen of Procrastination, so, what are you planning, exactly?

[Heather H]

Though the time is likely up on the original question in this thread, this is a useful subject for discussion. There are numerous strains of literary theory, so which one to use in a theoretical study is often a matter of personal preference. Of course, even when studying 20th century literature, it is not necessary to confine oneself to 20th century theory. Even Aristotle's Poetics still has much to say.

Literary theory can be a difficult subject. I would recommend a college-level class to anyone who is strongly interested in it. I took a theory class this summer, and I will never read literature in the same way again. The class started with ancient Greek theories of mimesis (i.e. art as a reflection of reality) in Plato and Aristotle. Then, we studied semiotics (a theory of how words connect to concepts, but more general than this crude description), reading essays by Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes, and Jacques Lacan. The third topic was hermeneutics, the art of interpretation. Some useful writers here are Friedrich Schleiermacher and Stanley Fish. Then, we studies theories of culture, including definitions of "high" culture, feminist theory, and post-colonial theory.

Anyone who is strongly interested in literary theory, but doesn't want to take a class, should get one of the massive anthologies used in introductory theory classes. I have a copy of the Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. It is a massive tome consisting of essays dating from ancient Greece to the present day. Literary theory is an interdisciplinary field, so there are essays by people from many backgrounds. Works of philosophy, linguistics, sociology, psychoanalysis, and cultural criticism can be found in this book. Many of the essays are difficult to understand, particularly for the layman who hasn't taken many literature classes.

Since I've been through the theory class (and will take advanced theory classes in the future), I would be happy to provide suggestions for anyone else here who has questions about literary theory. Also, there are probably others on this forum who have studied literary theory more than I have so far.

Heather

[cafolini]

I like the fairness in which you describe these ideas and the many possible ways to go about. I am not a layman in literature although I have little credentials beyond my speech. And I have a question for you? Do you think it is possible no to learn any of these theories and still be an expert in literature? I realize that I am not asking the question about literature theory, and I must make a difference between that question and the question of just literature.

[Heather H]

That is a difficult question, and the answer may depend on your particular goals. It also depends on what type of literature you are interested in. Certain types of literature may be in such close conversation with various strains of theory that it would be difficult to gain more than a rudimentary understanding without diving into the work of philosophers and critics. A good number of postmodern experimental works fall into this category. For some other types of literature, a formal study of literary theory may not be so critical.

One idea to keep in mind is that we all approach works of literature of all kinds from our own critical/theoretical perspectives, although this may be happening so far in the background that we do not even realize that it is happening. In a sense, we are all doing theoretical work when we read. The interpretive strategies we pick up while learning to read as schoolchildren constitute a particular theoretical lens through which we examine works, and those strategies work extremely well on literature that is constructed according to certain rules, i.e. standards of plot construction and characterization that prevail in such diverse works as the ancient Greek tragedies, Shakespeare plays, 19th century novels, and probably a lot of the contemporary popular and literary fiction. Some of these interpretive strategies include examining how characters progress through the work, studying the progress of the plot and recognizing key points, such as climaxes, and understanding the work in the context of the author's life, times, and other works. I think it is quite possible to become an expert at analyzing literature according to the strategies naturally acquired through a lifetime of education and reading, but these strategies are bound to run into limits on occasion, and that is where literary theory can help.

Studying literary theory can help in understanding "conventional" texts by making explicit the interpretive strategies that the reader normally uses subconsciously and by providing new strategies through which to view these works and gain new insights. Furthermore, when a reader encounters texts that substantially break the conventions, literary theory can provide new language that can be used to discuss and interpret those texts.

Also, note that "literary theory" is a broad subject, and its boundaries are ill-defined. It overlaps with many other fields of study. When you study fields such as philosophy, linguistics, or even psychoanalysis or anthropology, you may be getting a good dose of literary theory without necessarily realizing it.

This is a rather long-winded answer, and it just expresses my viewpoint, which is somewhat influenced by the theorist Stanley Fish. (See his essay "Interpreting the Variorum" for more details; it can be accessed via journal databases such as JSTOR at any good university library.) Others on this forum may have radically different viewpoints and may disagree vociferously with what I have written. It is, after all, a difficult question.

Heather

[G L Wilson]

Theory is an abortion of forethought.