8 Theory

Theory (Culler)

A systematic, complex explanation involving multiple factors that cannot be easily confirmed or disproven

Theory as activity

A way of thinking and interpreting, not just a set of statements

Open nature of literary theory

Not a single discipline but a constantly evolving field of debate and revision

Terry Eagleton on theory

Hostility to theory often means opposing others' theories while ignoring one's own

Theorization since the 1960s

Led to methodological pluralism and the acceptance that all analysis is based on theory

Use of theory

Helps define concepts, guide arguments, describe texts, and transfer insights

Good theories are…

Explicit, systematic, organized, and intersubjective

Key literary theory questions

Ask what literature is, how it works, and how it relates to authors, readers, society, history, and media

Theoretical Approaches

Overarching frameworks or lenses used to interpret literary texts

Theories

Explicit, detailed, organized, and consistent systems of categories used to investigate, describe, and explain literary phenomena. They define terminology and structure, and aim to be unified, systematic, and intersubjective

Methods

Systematic, verifiable procedures guided by theory used in analysis

Models

Visual or schematic tools to represent and simplify aspects of theory

Text-Oriented Approaches (Type of approach)

These approaches focus on the literary work itself—its form, language, structure, and internal coherence. Includes New Criticism (close reading), Structuralism (patterns and structures), and Post-Structuralism (deconstruction and internal contradictions)

New Criticism

Close reading focused on internal unity and formal qualities

Structuralism

Analyzes patterns and narrative structures rather than meaning

Post-Structuralism

Examines contradictions and the instability of meaning (différance)

Author-Oriented Approaches (Type of approach)

These focus on the author’s biography, psychology, and writing process. Includes biographical criticism, psychoanalytic theory (unconscious motives), and genetic criticism (drafts and revisions)

Biographical Criticism

Links literary work to the author's personal life

Psychoanalytic Criticism

Interprets unconscious motives of authors and characters

Genetic Criticism

Studies drafts and revisions within the author’s body of work

Reader-Oriented Approaches (Type of approach)

These examine how texts are received and interpreted by readers. Includes reception aesthetics (potential meanings), reader-response theory (meaning as interaction), and empirical reception studies (real reader reactions)

Reception Aesthetics

Explores how texts invite interpretations

Reader-Response Theory

Emphasizes reader's role in creating meaning

Empirical Reception Studies

Researches how actual readers react to texts

Context-Oriented Approaches (Type of approach)

These explore how texts relate to social, political, and historical contexts. Includes Marxist, sociological, feminist, postcolonial, and ecocritical theories

Marxist Criticism

Sees literature as shaped by material and class conditions

Sociological Criticism

Explores how literature reflects and influences society

Feminist Criticism

Analyzes gender roles and the depiction of women

Postcolonial Criticism

Focuses on colonialism, power, and cultural identity

Ecocriticism

Studies representations of nature and environmental concerns

Historical Approaches (Type of approach)

These focus on the historical conditions under which texts were produced and received. Includes New Historicism (texts as cultural discourses) and Cultural Materialism (emphasis on power and ideology)

New Historicism

Emphasizes textuality of history and historicity of texts

Cultural Materialism

Highlights ideology, power, and political critique in literature

Intertextuality and Intermediality (Type of approach)

These investigate the relationships between texts and between texts and other media. Intertextuality explores thematic and formal echoes across works; intermediality studies adaptations and multimedia interactions

Close Reading

Method of detailed textual analysis (used in New Criticism)

Distant Reading

Method using data to analyze texts on a large scale

Archival Research

Investigates historical documents related to literary texts

Empirical Methods

Use surveys or studies to examine reader response

Functions of theory

Include explanatory, heuristic, descriptive, communicative, typological, historical, comparative, didactic, mnemotechnic, and applied roles

Relation of Approach, Method, and Model

Approach = perspective, Method = path, Model = map for analysis

Theory (meanings and uses)

The term "theory" can refer to:

A way of thinking or questioning (abstract, philosophical activity),

A specific framework like Feminist or Reader-Response Theory,

Theories as structured systems of categories used in analysis,

Theoretical approaches as broad families of interpretive focus (e.g. text-oriented, context-oriented).