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“This concise and lucid volume offers a satisfying survey of all the major theories, from structuralism in the 1960s to deconstruction today, that have made academic criticism both intriguing and off-putting to the outsider.” —New York Times Book Review “Literary Theory has the kind of racy readability that one associates more often with English critics who have set their faces resolutely against theory. It’s not just a brilliant polemical essay; it’s also a remarkable feat of condensation, explication, and synthesis.” —Sunday Times (London) “A concise guide to the most interesting and mystifying trends in the study of literature over the last fifty years.” —The Nation This classic work covers all of the major movements in literary studies in this century. Noted for its clear, engaging style and unpretentious treatment, Literary Theory has become the introduction of choice for anyone interested in learning about the world of contemporary literary thought. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of Literary Theory’s debut, Terry Eagleton reflects on the state of theory in academia today, the growth of antitheory (itself an interesting theoretical subject), its common-if problematic-place among survey coursework, and theory’s continued relevance to scholarly pursuits. In this contemporary, retrospective moment, as scholars critically analyze the incredibly broad impact of the theoretical movement, Literary Theory remains an essential initiation to the intellectually stimulating world of theoretical analysis. Terry Eagleton is John Edward Taylor professor of English literature at the University of Manchester. His numerous books include The Meaning of Life, How to Read a Poem, and After Theory.
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Literary Theory
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Literary Theory An Introduction
Terry Eagleton With a New Preface ANNIVERSARY EDITION
M IN NE SO TA University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis
For Charles Swann and Raymond Williams
Copyright Terry Eagleton 1983, 1996, 2008 First published in this edition in Great Britain by Blackwell Publishers Ltd. First published in this edition in the United States in 2008 by the University of Minnesota Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in the United States by the University of Minnesota Press 111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290 Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520 http://www.upress.umn.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Eagleton, Terry, 1943Literary theory : an introduction / Terry Eagleton. — Anniversary ed. p. cm. With a new preface. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8166-5447-5 (pb : alk. paper) 1. Criticism—History—20th century. 2. Literature— History and criticism—Theory, etc. I. Title. PN94.E2 2008b 801'.95—dc22 2008006964 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer.
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Contents
Preface to the Anniversary Edition
vii
Preface
xi
Introduction: What is Literature?
1
1. The Rise of English
15
2. Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, Reception Theory
47
3. Structuralism and Semiotics
79
4.
110
Post-Structuralism
5. Psychoanalysis
131
Conclusion: Political Criticism
169
Afterword
190
Notes
209
Bibliography
217
Index