"Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis."
Study of the principles that govern the formation of literature, interpretation, and criticism.
Structuralism: A theoretical approach that studies the structures that underlie all cultural phenomena such as language, literature, music, and art.
Post-structuralism: A theoretical approach that critiques and expands upon structuralism, by emphasizing the instability and ambiguity of language and meaning.
Deconstruction: A critical approach that demonstrates the multiplicity of meanings in a text, by examining the underlying assumptions and hierarchical structures.
Marxism: A theoretical approach that analyzes literature in terms of the social and economic conditions that produce and are represented by it, with a focus on class struggle.
Feminism: A critical approach that examines the representation of gender and sexuality in literature, and seeks to challenge and subvert traditional norms and stereotypes.
Queer theory: A theoretical approach that explores the diversity and fluidity of sexual identities and practices, and their representation in literature.
Psychoanalytic theory: A critical approach that interprets literature in terms of the unconscious desires and conflicts of the author and characters.
New historicism: A critical approach that examines literature in the broader social and cultural context of the time period in which it was written and received.
Cultural studies: A theoretical approach that analyzes the relationships between literary texts and the larger culture in which they were produced and consumed.
"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..."