"Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis."
An umbrella term that refers to various theoretical approaches used to analyze and interpret literary texts.
The literary canon: The literary canon refers to the accepted list of important works in a particular social, cultural, and historical context. It is essential to understand the canon's formation and why certain works are included while others are excluded.
Genre theory: Genre theory analyzes the conventions and characteristics of different literary genres, such as poetry, drama, and fiction.
Intertextuality: Intertextuality is the relationship between different texts and how they refer to one another. It is essential in understanding how multiple texts interact with and influence each other.
Structuralism: Structuralism is a method of analysis that examines the underlying structures in literature, such as character archetypes, themes, and motifs.
Deconstruction: Deconstruction is a method of analysis that challenges the idea of fixed meanings in literature, highlighting the potential for multiple readings and interpretations.
Feminist theory: Feminist theory critiques the patriarchal bias in literature and questions how gender is portrayed in texts. It examines how societal norms have shaped representations of femininity and masculinity.
Postcolonial theory: Postcolonial theory examines the cultural, political, and economic effects of colonialism on literature and its representation of marginalized communities.
Marxist theory: Marxist theory examines how class relations and capitalist ideologies shape literature, looking at the way literature either reinforces or challenges power dynamics and social norms.
Psychoanalytic theory: Psychoanalytic theory examines the impact of unconscious thoughts and desires on literary texts and how authors utilize symbolism to convey psychological themes.
Reader-response theory: Reader-response theory focuses on the reader's subjective interpretation of literature and how their experiences and background influence their readings. It emphasizes the role of the reader in creating meaning from the text.
New Criticism: New Criticism is a method of close reading, which focuses on literary devices and language elements to analyze and evaluate a text.
Postmodernism: Postmodernism is a broad term that refers to the deconstruction of traditional notions of language, identity, and truth in literature. It emphasizes the role of the individual in shaping their own perception of reality.
Queer theory: Queer theory critiques the heteronormative bias in literature and questions how sexuality and gender are represented. It offers a critical analysis of sexuality and gender norms and how they impact literary texts.
Ecocriticism: Ecocriticism examines the relationship between literature and the environment, investigating how literature reflects and shapes ideas about nature and environmentalism.
Cultural studies: Cultural studies analyzes how different cultures and society impact literature and vice-versa. It examines how power relations are represented in literature and how they shape culture.
Formalism: This theory is concerned with the formal elements of a literary work, such as its structure or syntax, and the ways in which these elements contribute to the meaning of the work.
Structuralism: This approach is concerned with the patterns or structures that underlie any given text. Structuralists look at the relationships between the various parts of a literary work in order to understand its meaning.
Deconstruction: This theory holds that literary texts are inherently contradictory and impossible to fully understand. Deconstructionists aim to expose and dismantle the underlying assumptions and biases of a text in order to reveal its meaning.
Psychoanalytic Criticism: This theory explores the unconscious motives and desires of both the author and characters in a text. Psychoanalytic critics examine the role of sexuality, repression, and other psychological factors in literature.
Feminist Criticism: This approach is concerned with gender and how it is represented in literature. Feminist critics explore how gender roles and norms are constructed within literary texts and how they reflect broader cultural attitudes towards women.
Marxist Criticism: This theory examines the economic and social factors that underlie literary texts. Marxist critics analyze how literary works reflect the class struggles and inequalities of their time.
Queer Theory: This approach takes a critical look at heteronormativity and the ways in which it is reinforced through literature. Queer theorists explore how gender and sexuality are constructed and represented in literary works.
Postcolonial Criticism: This theory examines how literary texts are shaped by colonialism and its legacy. Postcolonial critics explore how colonialism has structured power relations, including those of race, ethnicity, and class, and how this affects the representation of different cultures within literature.
Ecocriticism: This approach is concerned with the relationship between literature and the natural world. Ecocritics examine how the natural environment is represented in literature and how our attitudes towards the environment are shaped by literary texts.
Reception Theory: This theory considers how readers interpret and respond to literary texts. Reception theorists explore how the meaning of a text is shaped by the context in which it is read, such as the reader's social background or historical period.
"Literary scholarship includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, moral philosophy, social philosophy, and interdisciplinary themes relevant to how people interpret meaning."
"Since the 19th century..."
"...post-structuralism."
"...strands of semiotics, cultural studies, philosophy of language, and continental philosophy."
"The nature of literature."
"The methods for literary analysis."
"Intellectual history, moral philosophy, social philosophy, and interdisciplinary themes relevant to how people interpret meaning."
"Literary scholarship in the humanities in modern academia is an offshoot of post-structuralism."
"Scholarly approaches to reading texts... are informed by strands of semiotics, cultural studies, philosophy of language, and continental philosophy."
"The word theory..."
"Scholarly approaches to reading texts..."
"To study the nature of literature and methods for literary analysis."
"Intellectual history, moral philosophy, social philosophy..."
"Semiotics, cultural studies, philosophy of language, continental philosophy..."
"Its roots date back to the 19th century."
"Intellectual history, moral philosophy, social philosophy..."
"Post-structuralism and strands of semiotics, cultural studies, philosophy of language, and continental philosophy."
"It has become an offshoot of post-structuralism."
"The humanities in modern academia..."