Literary Theory: The BasicsProviding the ideal first step in understanding the often bewildering world of literary theory, Literary Theory: The Basics is an easy to follow and clearly presented introduction to this fascinating area. Showing that theory can not only make sense, but also radically change the way in which we read, Literary Theory: The Basics: * leads readers through the major approached to literature that are signalled by the term â¬~literary theory' * places each critical movement in its historical (and often political) context * illustrates theory in practice with examples from well-known texts * suggests further reading for those especially interested in a particular critical approach. Covering all the basics and much more, this is the perfect book for anyone interested in how we read and why that matters. |
Contents
formalism | 31 |
French | 53 |
the new historicism | 171 |
Postcolonial criticism and theory | 193 |
Sexuality literature and culture | 217 |
| 237 | |
| 247 | |
| 252 | |
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20th Century Literary African-American argues Arnold Bhabha binary oppositions called Chapter Chinua Achebe claim colonial colonizer and colonized Commonwealth constructed contemporary context critique cultural materialism cultural materialists David Lodge deconstruction defamiliarization Derrida différance difference discourse discussion dominant Eliot English literature essay female feminism feminist Feminist Criticism fiction focus focuses Formalists Foucault function gender Gramsci Greenblatt heterosexual historicism historicist Hoggart homosexual human identity ideology instance interest Lacan language Leavis lesbian lesbian criticism liberal humanist linguistic literary academics literary studies literary texts Literary Theory London male Marxist critics meaning narrative narrator novel Orientalism perspective play poem Poetics poetry political postcolonial studies postcolonial theory postmodern poststructuralism poststructuralist psychoanalysis queer theory reader reading relations relationship Renaissance representations role Routledge sexuality Shakespeare Sinfield social specific Spivak Stephen Greenblatt story structuralist structure syuzhet theorists tion traditional University Press Western culture women words writing York