popular fiction outline

1.0 Objectives

  • Introduce the framework of culture and popular culture as it relates to popular literature.

  • Discuss the debates surrounding the concept of the ‘popular’.

  • Define ‘popular’ and provide an overview of popular culture, its origins, and connotations.

  • Introduce genres of popular literature and discuss the relationship between literary merit and the marketplace.

1.1 Introduction

  • Literature reflects the culture of its times and mirrors society.

  • Definition: Literature is written works with artistic merit and lasting value.

  • "Popular" derives from the Greek "Populus", meaning people; thus, popular culture/literature affects a large portion of the populace.

1.2 Culture, Civilisation, and Ideology

Definition of Culture

  • Culture has multiple meanings; context is vital to determine them.

  • Historically, the term evolved from its Latin roots to represent human attributes, then as a synonym for civilization in the 18th century.

  • In the 19th century, ‘culture’ differentiated itself from ‘civilisation’ and began to include folk culture.

Evolution of Cultural Understanding

  • Initially equated with elite culture, it came to include various forms from the ‘select few’ to ‘popular’ culture.

  • The term ‘popular’ emerged casually in the early 19th century, implying favor among many people.

1.3 Popular Culture

Interdependence with Socioeconomic Factors

  • A person’s preferences (music, cinema, literature) are influenced by socio-economic status and occupation.

Notable Theorists

  • Ray B. Browne, Marshall Fishwick: Critiques defining popular culture.

  • Browne's eyeball analogy illustrates the spectrum from folk to elite culture, with popular culture at the center.

Characteristics of Popular Culture

  • Reflected in media and consumer patterns, it is essential for education and societal engagement.

1.3.1 Popular Culture, Mass Culture, Commodity, and the Marketplace

  • Popular Culture is widely favored and mass-produced for consumption.

  • Critiques the automatic, passive consumption that commodified culture suggests; not all products succeed despite heavy advertising.

1.3.2 Popular Culture as a Residual Category

  • Defined as inferior culture existing after high culture classifications.

  • Viewed as commercial and mass-produced, lacking the aesthetic response reserved for high culture.

1.3.3 Popular Culture and the Idea of Hegemony

  • Gramsci's hegemony concept emphasizes the struggle between dominant and subordinate cultural groups.

  • Popular Culture as a negotiation site rather than imposed culture.

1.3.4 Popular Culture and America

  • Popular Culture has roots in American culture, particularly through media in cities like New York.

  • Critiques suggest its pervasiveness leads to cultural homogenization and 'vulgarization'.

1.4 Popular Literature

1.4.1 The Advent of Postmodernism

  • Postmodernism challenged elitism and blurred culture categories, legitimizing popular literature’s status.

1.4.2 Defining Popular Literature

  • Historically, excluded from academia; comprises folk narratives and mass-produced works.

  • Leslie Fiedler’s contributions propose popular literature as resilient and misunderstood by elite critics.

1.4.3 Genres of Popular Literature

  • Examples include romances, fantasy, mysteries, Westerns, and crime stories (e.g., Agatha Christie, Satyajit Ray).

  • Introduces new forms like graphic novels and comic strips.

1.4.4 Inverse Relationship between Literary Merit and Popular Literature

  • Popular literature often dismissed due to its mass appeal and commercial nature.

  • Critics dubbed it 'ghettoized', failing to receive academic recognition.

1.4.5 Literature and Media

  • Interconnectedness of literature with other media forms (film, television) reshapes narrative understanding.

  • Literature's portrayal in films influences its academic recognition and popular perception.

1.4.6 Popular Literature Today

  • Shifts from folklore to mainstream acceptance; reflects marketplace demands.

  • Writers like Chetan Bhagat engage contemporary themes for today's literate audience.

  • Emergence of flash fiction as a response to modern reading preferences and technology.

1.5 Let Us Sum Up

  • Summarizes the concepts of culture, popular culture, mass culture, and popular literature.

  • Next, the relationship between canonical and popular literature will be explored.

1.6 Hints to Check Your Progress

  • Encouragements for self-evaluation in comprehension of sections.

1.7 Glossary

  • Cultura: Latin for culture, meaning to inhabit or cultivate.

  • Populus: Greek word for people.

  • Mass Culture: Culture appealing to the common man.

  • Commodity: Marketable object.

  • Hegemony: Dominant authority or power.

1.8 Suggested Readings & References

  • References related to the subject matter of culture and literature to enhance understanding.