ELL 642 - Literary Theory and Criticism from Saussure to Derrida

The course aims to study and determine the quality of literature and literary theory in their ability to
convey the traditional literary values of form, meaning, and symbolism, and the applicable value of
literary theory as an interpretive mode of criticism that probes how we read, make sense of experience,
and produce meaning. In the process, the course seeks the heightened appreciation of literary texts and theories, their
intellectual, moral, and aesthetic features, the relationships amongs stylistic devices, central motifs,
organic structure, and effectiveness in revealing and communicating the author's and reader's purpose
and motivation and imagination and psychology.

In our case, the theory we will be studying will be about literature and the study of literature. We will be
looking at the ways thinkers through the ages have tried to define and understand the nature and value
of literature. We will begin at the beginning (sort of) with Plato’s famous quarrel with the poets. This, I
hope, will help us see why literature has posed such a problem to thinkers for such a long time. Literary theory is
made up of the same kind of language we use in our everyday transactions (it is not made up of a
specialized language, like mathematics), and yet that language seems so much richer and deeper in a
literary work. Literature does not claim to be a sacred utterance, and yet it treats the most important
subjects human have to deal with. Kant, who otherwise thought that human mental life could be
classified as either pure reason or practical reason, had to posit a third, hybrid category to account for
literature. So, Plato can be forgiven for raising some questions about this renegade thing. After Plato, we
will look at how subsequent thinkers have tried to explain, defend, and justify literature in light of its
strange nature. Most of the class will be a kind of historical survey of these attempts and will end with an
overview of contemporary theory and criticism. What is the nature, function, and value of literature? How
can we deal objectively with literary art? How can readers gain greater access to the richness and
complexity of literary texts? What criteria do we use to determine a work’s “greatness”? What do we
mean when we speak of the “beauty” of a literary work? What is the function of the artist, the critic, and
of criticism and theory itself? Can we know the artist’s true intentions in a work? How do we account for
multiple interpretations of a text? What is the relationship between the content and the form of a literary
work? Does literary language differ from ordinary language? Readings were drawn from the 19th to the beginning of 21th century.

 Auerbach, Mimesis. Princeton; Princeton UP, 1953. • Saussy, Haun, ed. Comparative Literature in an Age of Globalization. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.  Basnet, Susan 1993: Comparative Literature. Blackwell Guillen, Claudio 1993: The Challenge of Comparative Literature. Cambridge. Prawar SS 1973: Comparative Literature Studies. Duckworth. Stalknett NP et al. Editors 1951: Comparative Literature. Carbondolle. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty 2005: Death of a Discipline. Seagull. Calcutta Wellek,Rene and Austin Warren 1963: Theory of Literature. Harmondsworth. Weisstein,Ulrich 1973:Comparative Literature and Literary Theory.MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Seventh Edition. 2009 and all the works on the syllabus provided by the instructor. 

Students are expected not only to attend classes regularly and on time with their necessary documents, but also to studt beforehand the relevant documents, since this course will be partly in a form of classroom discussions. The medium of instruction is English, no other languages are allowed. No assigned works such as class activity, homework, term work and so on will be welcome after the deadline.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of stealing somebody’s work or idea and then of trying to pass it off as original. This is an offence and crime requiring the punishment not only across the world but also at IZU. If the student takes or summarizes someone’s written works or ideas, s/he must give the full citation in her/his assignment. Before submitting the final papers, please screen them through Turnitin.