Key Terms in Literary Theory 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd ii 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4411 PPMM Also available from Continuum Essential Guide to English Studies , Peter Childs How to Read Texts , Neil McCaw Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed , Mary Klages Literature, In Theory , Julian Wolfreys Studying English Literature , edited by Ashley Chantler and David Higgins 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd iiii 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4411 PPMM Key Terms in Literary Theory MARY KLAGES 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd iiiiii 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4411 PPMM Continuum International Publishing Group The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane 11 York Road Suite 704 London SE1 7NX New York NY 10038 www.continuumbooks.com © Mary Klages 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. The author has asserted his/her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identifi ed as Author of this work. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. E ISBN: 978-1-4411-1573 -7 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Klages, Mary. Key terms in literary theory / Mary Klages. p. cm. – (Key terms) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: HB: 978-0-8624-9190-9 ISBN: PB: 978-0-8264-4267-3 1. Literature–Dictionaries. 2. Criticism–Dictionaries. 3. Literature–History and criticism–Theory, etc. I. Title. PN44.5.K58 2011 803–dc23 2011034807 Typeset by Newgen Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India Printed and bound in India 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd iivv 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4422 PPMM CONTENTS Introduction: Why This Book? 1 Key Terms and Concepts 3 Major Figures 9 0 Important Works 118 List of Key Terms 1 25 List of Major Figures 1 28 Index 131 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd vv 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4422 PPMM 99778800882266449911990099__PPrreelliimmss__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd vvii 1122//88//22001111 66::4499::4422 PPMM Introduction: Why This Book? Chances are, if you’re reading this introduction, you already know something about literary theory; perhaps you are a student, or someone who has wondered what “literary theory” is all about and is looking for some explanations. There are lots of useful guides explaining various types of literary theory. I know, because I wrote one of them. L iterary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed is a com- prehensive introductory guidebook to literary theory. It consists of chapters devoted to types of theories: there are essays explaining psychoanalytic theory, Marxist theory, structuralism, and post- modernism, to name a few. The book is clear and accessible; it’s designed to introduce students of literature and literary theory to the basic ideas of a range of theories, and to explain those theories in ways that beginning students can grasp. Guides like mine, however, don’t yield information quickly or concisely; they are more like textbooks you read for detailed infor- mation. But this book is different. It is the one you pick up when you come across an unfamiliar term in another resource, and you want an understandable defi nition, or you encounter a name you don’t recognize, and want to know what kind of theory he or she is associated with. It’s a glossary, a dictionary, a reference book. It’s a great companion to Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed , and it’s a good stand-alone volume for easy reference. This book is divided into three sections. The fi rst section is a glossary: an alphabetical list of “key terms” in literary theory. These are words or phrases you will very likely encounter as you become familiar with literary and cultural theory, and I do my best to explain them and place them in context. The second section consists of biographical information about literary and cultural theorists you are likely to come across as you 99778800882266449911990099__IInnttrroo__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd 11 1122//88//22001111 22::5555::3377 PPMM 2 KEY TERMS IN LITERARY THEORY read different types of literary theory. All entries supply dates and a list of major works by the author, and all place each author in context. Major theorists have longer explanations, which address their theoretical projects, goals, and infl uences. The third section is a bibliography, which is divided into sec- tions. The fi rst section lists recommended works providing an overview of various literary theories. These texts are good intro- ductory essays. If you are just beginning to learn about literary theory, these books are excellent places to start. The second section contains recommended anthologies of pri- mary sources; these are collections of original essays by the various theorists. These anthologies contain the most important works of the individual theorists; they are a great resource for students who want to dive into theoretical texts. The third section lists recommended secondary sources on par- ticular theories and theorists; these are for more advanced study of a particular theorist or school of thought. That’s it. I hope this book is useful to you. 99778800882266449911990099__IInnttrroo__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd 22 1122//88//22001111 22::5555::3388 PPMM Key Terms and Concepts Abjection This term comes from the latin a b jacto , meaning to throw under or to move under. To be “abject” is to be subordinate and inferior, to feel an attitude of shame and worthlessness. The term is associated with Julia Kristeva’s version of psychoanalysis, which focuses on the pre-Oedipal phase, when the baby is still undifferentiated from its environment and its mother’s body. Abjection is the “civilized” response to anything that reminds us of the drives and desires we have thrown into the unconscious through repression during the Oedipal phase of development. The abject is what culture throws away, its garbage, or its waste products; examples of abject sub- stances include excrement, blood (especially menstrual blood), and dead bodies. According to Kristeva, these substances recall the lack of division between self and other that characterizes the pre-Oedipal phase; they conjure the maternal body, from which the infant has to separate in order to become a self (and to create an unconscious where pre-Oedipal memories and desires are repressed). Things that are abject create a feeling of horror or disgust in the adult civilized viewer because they remind him or her of the time before differenti- ated selfhood; they threaten to dissolve the boundaries of the self and to return the viewer to a non-differentiated state of egolessness that is frightening to the self. Horror fi lms and other genres that want to disturb or disrupt a sense of unity and safety use images of the abject to create this response of horror: seeing things that do not have defi nite boundaries, things that are shoved away from or excluded from the Western idea of order, cleanliness, and goodness, make the viewer feel queasy and uneasy, uncertain of his/her status as a unifi ed, whole, contained self. 99778800882266449911990099__CChh0011__FFiinnaall__ttxxtt__pprriinntt..iinndddd 33 1122//1133//22000000 1122::1177::4444 PPMM