Literary Theory

Literary Theory: A Reintroduction introduces the current state of theory by placing it in its social, historical, and institutional contexts.

• Focuses on the period preceding the ‘theory movement’ of the 1970s and 1980s as well as the aftermath
• Asks questions about how and why literary theory evolved in the 20th century
• Discusses key figures such as F.R. Leavis, Raymond Williams, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler and Alain Badiou
• Examines the influence of a wide range of topics in the field, from the Cold War to the culture wars

Introduction.

1. English as a University Subject.

2. The New Criticism and Beyond.

3. Reconfiguring English Studies.

4. The Politics of Theory.

5. From Work to Text.

6. Enlightenment and Modernity.

7. PC Wars.

8. Ethics.

Notes.

Selected Bibliography.

Index

"Ayers does a superb job in tracing the many strands of theory … Well written, it displays a wealth of learning and has some beautifully modulated arguments." Times Higher Education Supplement David Ayers is Reader in Modernism and Critical Theory, and Director of the Centre for Modern Poetry, at the University of Kent. His publications include Wyndham Lewis and Western Man (1992), English Literature of the 1920s (1999) and Modernism: A Short Introduction (2004). Literary Theory: A Reintroduction introduces the current state of theory by placing it in its social, historical, and institutional contexts.

Beginning in the 1920s, the book looks at the impact of the periods preceding the ‘theory movement’ and reintroduces this movement from a contemporary perspective. Engaging the reader in questions about the origin, reception and analysis of literary theory, Ayers explores how and why popular criticisms developed, and considers their futures. Major influences on the development of modern theory are examined, among them the creation of university English and campus politics; the Cold War; the Anglo-Americanization of French and German theory; the culture wars; and the politics of contemporary historicist scholarship. Key figures such as F. R. Leavis, Raymond Williams, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler and Alain Badiou are also discussed.