Literary Theory
Douban
A Very Short Introduction
Jonathan Culler
overview
What is Literary Theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is Literature, and does it matter? These are the sorts of questions addressed by Jonathan Culler in a book which steers a clear path through a subject which is often perceived to be impenetrable. It offers insights into theories about the nature of language and meaning, whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience, and outlines the ideas behind a number of different schools: deconstruction, semiotics, postcolonial theory, and structuralism amongst them.
contents
1 What is theory?
2 What is Literature and Does it Matter?
3 Literature and Cultural Studies
4 Language, Meaning, and Interpretation
5 Rhetoric, Poetics, and Poetry
6 Narrative
7 Performative Language
8 Identity, Identification, and the Subject
Theoretical Schools and Movements
References
Further Reading
Index
