Description
Book SynopsisThe Literary Theory Toolkit offers readers a rich compendium of key terms, concepts, and arguments necessary for the study of literature in a critical-theoretical context.
- Includes varied examples drawn from readily available literary texts spanning all periods and genres
- Features a chapter on performance, something not usually covered in similar texts
- Covers differing theories of the public sphere, ideology, power, and the social relations necessary for the understanding of approaches to literature
Trade Review"Rapaport (Wake Forest Univ.) calls this clearly written book "a compendium of major issues and developments in literary criticism and theory" and "a companion to major issues in literary criticism and theory that can be read linearly in terms of units or areas. . . Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." (Choice, 1 October 2011)
"The methods are nicely illustrated in a diverse selection of example texts." (Book New, 1 August 2011)
Table of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgments.
Chapter 1: Introductory Tools for Literary Analysis.
1.1. Basics of Literary Study.
1.2. Common Critical Practices.
1.3. Literary Language.
1.4. Hermeneutics.
1.5. Major 20th Century Schools of Critical Analysis.
1.6. Socio-Political Analyses.
Chapter 2: Tools for Reading Narrative.
2.1. Story and Plot: Fabula and Syuzhet.
2.2. Order.
2.3. Mimesis/Diegesis.
2.4. Free Indirect Discourse.
2.5. Interior Monologue.
2.6. Diachronic and Synchronic.
2.7. Intertextuality.
2.8. Dialogism.
2.9. Chronotope.
2.10. Character Zone.
2.11. Focalization.
2.12. Narrative Codes.
Chapter 3: Tools for Reading Poetry.
3.1. Tropes.
3.2. Elision.
3.3. Resemblance.
3.4. Objective Correlative.
3.5. Language Poetry.
3.6. The New Sentence.
3.7. Sound Poetry/Concrete Poetry.
3.8. Prosody.
Chapter 4: Tools for Analyzing Performance.
4.1. Performance Studies.
4.2. Realist Theatre: Total Acting.
4.3. Konstantin Stanislavski.
4.4. Lee Strasberg (The Method), David Mamet (Practical Aesthetics), Mary Overlie (The Six Viewpoints Approach).
4.5. Epic Theatre.
4.6. Theater of Cruelty.
4.7. Actions.
4.8. Play.
4.9. Happenings.
4.10. Performance Art.
4.11. Guerrila Theatre.
Chapter 5: Tools for Reading Texts as Systems.
5.1. Aristotle and Form.
5.2. The Literary Work as Object of Rational Empiricism.
5.3. Saussurean Linguistics.
5.4. Levi-Strauss and Structuralism.
5.5. Roman Jakobson’s Communication Model.
5.6. Roland Barthes’ Hierarchical Structures.
5.7. Ideality and Phenomenology of the Literary Object: Husserl and Derrida.
5.8. Dissemination.
5.9. Structure as Rhizome: Deleuze and Guattari.
5.10. Permutation.
5.11. Undecidability: Derrida, Gödel, Lacan.
5.12. Simulating Systems: Baudrillard.
5.13. Multiplicity: Badiou.
Chapter 6: Tools for Social Analysis.
6.1. The Public Sphere.
6.2. Ideology.
6.3. Theories of Power.
6.4. The Social Relation.
Index.
