The document discusses traditional and modern approaches to literary theory. Traditionally, literature was studied by focusing on the author's biography and historical context to interpret themes. Traditional criticism viewed literature as reflecting real human nature and values across history. Modern literary theory takes a more critical approach, seeing concepts like gender and identity as socially constructed rather than natural. It views language as shaping reality and meaning as unstable. Modern theory is more skeptical of totalizing views and focuses on how power structures like gender and race are embedded in language and culture.

1. Literary Theory
Content For BS and Mphil.
English

2. Outline
• Traditional method of studying and writing
about literature
• Characteristics of traditional literary Criticism
• What is literary Theory?
• Trends in modern literary Theory
• Summary of lecture

3. Traditional Method of Studying and
Writing about Literature
• we have been in the habit of reading a poem to
judge its literary and aesthetic value.
• We read title of the poem and name of poet.
• After skimming and scanning certain information
we start recording the general impressions
(themes) of the poem
• While recording these impressions we keep in view
the historical background of the poet’s age and
his/her biography

4. Conti…
• The purpose/function of this sort of reading is to:
• Fit this particular piece of poem into certain
genre/art form
• Judge its artistic and aesthetic value
• Determine style of particular author or poem
• We do this practice of reading and writing about
literature in general keeping in view the
traditional theories propounded by Philosophers,
literary figures and critics right from Plato to Eliot

5. Conti…
• Most of the traditional theories impart the
readers and practitioners the following
insight:
• The definitions of literature in general and
definitions of particular genres of literature
• What makes literature sublime?
• Poetic diction and poetic process
• Relationship of literature with society, history
and other discourses , etc. etc…….

6. Characteristics of Traditional literary
Criticism
• Traditional literary criticism focuses on common
sense view of world that lead to Expressive
Realism means what the author expresses, is
taken true and real to life.
• It is lead largely by the empiricist-idealist
notions of philosophy generally based on
Liberal Humanist consensus about language,
literature, human identity and world at large.
• The notions of liberal Humanism are highly
significant in this regard: they are the following

7. Conti…
(a) Good literature is of timeless significance
(b) Individuality/self is something securely possessed
within each of us as our unique Essence. This essence
transcends its environmental influences and may be
termed as Transcendental Subject.
(c)Human nature/self is essentially unchanging. The
same emotions, passions and even situations are seen
again and again throughout human history.
(d)The purpose of literature is essentially the
enhancement of life and propagation of human values.

8. Conti…
(e)Form and content in literature must be
focused in an organic way so that one grows
inevitably from the other.
(f)The purpose of literature is showing and
demonstrating rather than telling, explaining
and saying of it.
(g) The job of criticism is to interpret the text ,
to mediate between it and the reader.

9. Conti…
• Traditional literary criticism is historical-cum-
biographical in nature means: while
interpreting literature, we ignore the actual
content of the text and focus on the biography
of the author and historical background of the
author’s age so we enter into the text with
preconceived notions and values of author’s
age.
• Author ------- -Text --------Reader

10. What is Literary Theory
• Culler (1997) defines theory as
• Theory is interdisciplinary – discourse with effects
outside an original discipline.
• Theory is analytical and speculative – an attempt to
work out what is involved in what we call sex or
language or writing or meaning or the subject
• 3. Theory is a critique of common sense, of concepts
taken as natural.
• Theory is reflexive, thinking about thinking, enquiry
into the categories we use in making sense of things, in
literature and in other discursive practices.

11. Characteristics of Modern literary
Theory
• As opposed to the notions of Expressive realism, liberal Humanism or traditional
criticism the following are the recurrent ideas of modern critical theory:
1. Many notions that we consider as given and natural regarding our gender,
identity and even literature are fluid and unstable things. They are not given
rather are socially-constructed. In philosophical terms contingent categories
means temporary, provisional and circumstances- dependent.
2. Language itself conditions, limits and predetermines what we see , means reality
is constructed through language. So every notion about gender, race and human
identity is a textual construct. we are good or bad because we have been labeled
through language.
3. In literature, as in all writing, there is never the possibility of establishing fixed
and definitive meaning. So all texts are necessarily are self-contradictory.
4. Modern theorist distrust all totalizing notions. So the concept of Great Books as
absolute and self-sustaining entity may also be distrusted as these notions were
Eurocentric ( based on white European norms) and Androcentric ( based on
males norms and attitude).

12. Conti…
• Barry (1995) has summed up the following
points as
• Politics is pervasive
• Language is constitutive
• Truth is provisional
• Meaning is contingent
• Human nature is a myth

13. HOPE SO
IT'S HELPFULL