literary teory
LITERARY THEORY
Misconceptions about theory:
1. Theory is difficult
What is difficult however is the language because most of the theorists are French
2. theory is meaningless, pretentious jargon
3. that we are intellectually incapable of coping with it(i.e we are at fault)
4. We take everything as gospel truth; We should question
What is literary theory?
Theory is a coherent set of conceptual hypothetical and pragmatic principles forming the general frame of reference for a discipline.
Literary Theory: the systematic account of the nature of literature and of the methods for analyzing it. (Culler pg 1)
Theoretical developments frequently take their colour from the speculations of an earlier time on a multidisciplinary scale. I.e. philosophy, ethics, science, religion etc.
Ideas often of a general nature are advanced as scholars strive to take cognizance of general or particular phenomena.
Through time, scholars from a multiplicity of disciplines subject these ideas to their own understanding within the requirements of particular disciplines.
Within disciplinary boundaries, theory concerns itself with the discipline’s origin, nature and function.
Most theories are advanced from previous theories which scholars develop or react to in a radically new way, giving rise to an alternative theory. E.g Post-colonial theories arose in third world countries, former colonies of Europe which the proponents see as a means of self liberation from domination by Europe and America theories.
With particular regard to literature, theory has been ostensibly a facilitator of literary criticism which aims at interpreting and synthesizing ideas and concepts expressed within an aesthetic mode.
Like in other disciplines literary theory begins with the question; what is literature?
FEATURES
1. A theory must be more than a hypothesis: it can’t be obvious , it involves complex relations of a systematic kind among a number of factors; and it is not easily
Misconceptions about theory:
1. Theory is difficult
What is difficult however is the language because most of the theorists are French
2. theory is meaningless, pretentious jargon
3. that we are intellectually incapable of coping with it(i.e we are at fault)
4. We take everything as gospel truth; We should question
What is literary theory?
Theory is a coherent set of conceptual hypothetical and pragmatic principles forming the general frame of reference for a discipline.
Literary Theory: the systematic account of the nature of literature and of the methods for analyzing it. (Culler pg 1)
Theoretical developments frequently take their colour from the speculations of an earlier time on a multidisciplinary scale. I.e. philosophy, ethics, science, religion etc.
Ideas often of a general nature are advanced as scholars strive to take cognizance of general or particular phenomena.
Through time, scholars from a multiplicity of disciplines subject these ideas to their own understanding within the requirements of particular disciplines.
Within disciplinary boundaries, theory concerns itself with the discipline’s origin, nature and function.
Most theories are advanced from previous theories which scholars develop or react to in a radically new way, giving rise to an alternative theory. E.g Post-colonial theories arose in third world countries, former colonies of Europe which the proponents see as a means of self liberation from domination by Europe and America theories.
With particular regard to literature, theory has been ostensibly a facilitator of literary criticism which aims at interpreting and synthesizing ideas and concepts expressed within an aesthetic mode.
Like in other disciplines literary theory begins with the question; what is literature?
FEATURES
1. A theory must be more than a hypothesis: it can’t be obvious , it involves complex relations of a systematic kind among a number of factors; and it is not easily