Lecture

Introduction to Literary Theory

In this introductory lecture, the professor examines the fundamental relationship between theory and philosophy, as well as the nature of literature. Key thinkers such as Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud are analyzed to provide insights into the origins of literary theory within the framework of modern criticism.


Course Lectures
  • In this introductory lecture, the professor examines the fundamental relationship between theory and philosophy, as well as the nature of literature. Key thinkers such as Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud are analyzed to provide insights into the origins of literary theory within the framework of modern criticism.

  • This lecture continues the introduction by examining skepticism and determinism in literature. Through the works of Chekov and James, the nature of discourse is explored, along with Foucault's and Barthes' critiques of literary authority, emphasizing historical contexts and cultural studies.

  • This lecture delves into hermeneutics, exploring the theory of interpretation and the hermeneutic circle. The professor traces the origins of hermeneutic thought, detailing concepts from thinkers like Gadamer, Heidegger, and Hirsch, while emphasizing the ideas of historicism and historicality.

  • This lecture further discusses Gadamer and Hirsch, focusing on reading and interpretation. The differences between meaning and significance are analyzed, alongside Iser's essay, which elucidates textual expectation and surprise, culminating in a discussion on the impact of hermeneutics on canon formation.

  • This lecture introduces formalism, focusing on the New Critics and the concept of autonomous art. The professor discusses key figures like Kant, Coleridge, and Wilde while analyzing the principles that define New Criticism and its preferred evidence in literary studies.

  • This second lecture on formalism explores Wimsatt and Beardsley's theories by applying them to Yeats's work. The evolution of Anglo-American formalism is traced, while examining the relationship between Richards and Empson, along with Brooks's conception of unity in literature.

  • Russian Formalism
    Paul H Fry

    This lecture focuses on Russian formalism, distinguishing it from hermeneutics. The works of major Russian formalists are reviewed, revealing their connections to Marxist and Darwinian philosophies, along with crucial distinctions between different literary concepts.

  • This lecture explores semiotics, focusing on Ferdinand de Saussure's foundational theories. The connections between semiotics, hermeneutics, New Criticism, and Russian formalism are examined, alongside key semiotic binaries, with practical examples provided for clarity.

  • This lecture on linguistics continues the discussion of synchrony and diachrony as explored by Jakobson. The intersections of formalism, semiotics, and linguistics are considered, with a focus on structural interpretations and the poetic functions of language through practical analysis.

  • Deconstruction I
    Paul H Fry

    This first lecture on deconstruction examines Derrida's foundational works, critiquing structuralism and semiotics. Key concepts such as language arbitrariness and meaning indeterminacy are explored, along with Derrida's critiques of Levi-Strauss and Saussure's theories.

  • Deconstruction II
    Paul H Fry

    This second lecture on deconstruction continues the exploration of Derrida while introducing Paul de Man. Their similarities and differences are analyzed, particularly focusing on de Man's self-deconstruction and the rhetorical aspects of grammar, illustrated through various literary examples.

  • Freud and Fiction
    Paul H Fry

    This lecture examines Freud's influence on literature through the lens of Peter Brooks. Freud's fundamental drives and their relation to narrative structures are explored, alongside Brooks' insights into the interplay between pleasure principles and literary production.

  • This lecture on psychoanalytic criticism focuses on Jacques Lacan's contributions. Key concepts like the mirror stage and the relationship between language and the unconscious are examined, highlighting their significance in literary interpretation through metaphor and metonymy.

  • This lecture explores the postmodern psyche through the works of Deleuze, Guattari, and Žižek. The concept of postmodernism is defined with examples from visual arts, while Deleuze and Guattari's rhizomatic thinking is elucidated alongside Žižek's film criticism.

  • This lecture introduces the theory of literature in social contexts, focusing on Bakhtin's heteroglossia and Jauss's reception theory. The implications of common language are explored through readings from Austen and Borges, revealing the social influences on literature.

  • This first lecture on the Frankfurt School delves into critical theory, focusing on Adorno and Benjamin's writings. Their historical and political contexts are explored, discussing concepts like mechanical reproduction and its implications on art and labor in late capitalism.

  • This lecture explores Jameson's concept of the political unconscious, analyzing texts like Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind." The interconnectedness of political, social, and historical frameworks is articulated, emphasizing the impact of ideology on literature and individual thought.

  • The New Historicism
    Paul H Fry

    This lecture on New Historicism reviews the works of Greenblatt and McGann. Key strategies and evidence in Early Modern studies are discussed, along with the influence of Foucault and Bakhtin on their approaches to literary editing and interpretation.

  • This lecture on feminist criticism examines Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" as a pivotal text. The structure and rhetoric of the work are analyzed alongside major feminist critics, discussing the unique aspects of female language and intellectual identity.

  • This lecture explores trends in African-American criticism through the perspectives of Gates and Morrison. A historical overview of African-American literature and its connections to feminist theory is provided, along with discussions of identity, essentialism, and cultural studies.

  • This lecture focuses on post-colonial theory, analyzing the works of Said and Bhabha. Key concepts like ambivalence and hybridity are discussed, emphasizing the complexities of post-colonial identities and their relations to identity politics and semiotics.

  • This lecture on queer theory explores Judith Butler's work in relation to Foucault's theories. Differences in terminology and methods are examined, focusing on Butler's emphasis on performance, leading to a discussion on identity politics in connection with post-colonial and African-American theorists.

  • This lecture investigates the institutional construction of literary study through Fish and Guillory's works. The emergence of literary identities is analyzed, emphasizing the role of interpretive communities and the implications for the Western canon and multiculturalism.

  • Neo-Pragmatism
    Paul H Fry

    This lecture on neo-pragmatism critiques Knapp and Michaels' "Against Theory." The historical context is explored alongside critical orientations, emphasizing the relationships between intention, meaning, language, and the necessity of theory in literary studies through practical analysis.

  • Reflections
    Paul H Fry

    In this concluding lecture, the professor revisits key concepts from the course, focusing on language and communication. The final analysis connects various literary theories while exemplifying the role of language in shaping interpretations and understanding literature.