Module 3

WHY STUDY LITERARY THEORY?

The term literary theory within the discipline of literary studies can be best understood as the set of
concepts and intellectual assumptions on which rests the work of explaining or interpreting literary texts.
Essentially, theory in literature refers to the ways of looking at literature beyond the typical plot-theme and
character-setting studies. Jonathan Culler (1997) in Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction holds that theory
in literature refers to the principles derived from internal analysis of literary texts or from knowledge external to
the text that can be applied in multiple interpretive situations. M.H. Abrams points out in The Mirror and the
Lamp (1953) that ―any reasonably adequate theory takes some account of four elements. These elements
are:

1. The work itself

2. The artist who creates the work
3. The universe or the nature that is being imitated by the work
4. The audience of the work

For Abrams, there are author-based theories, reader-based theories, text- based theories, and theories
that propose the text as imitative of the universe. For instance, when Chinua Achebe argues that Joseph
Conrad‘s The Heart of Darkness fails to grant full humanity to the Africans it portrays, it becomes obvious that
he was arguing from the perspective of post-colonial literary theory which emphasises a history of exploitation
and racism. In an attempt to provide a pointed meaning of theory in literature, Jide Balogun contends that:

The task of resolving the crisis engendered in literary texts is possible through the
formulation of some principles, parameters and paradigms which are technically termed
theories. Theories are meant to interpret and evaluate works of literature with the mind of
revealing the in-depth implications of such works.

This module explains why the study of literary theory and criticism is invaluable.

OBJECTIVE
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• justify the study of literary theory and criticism.

MAIN CONTENT

Why Study Literary Theory and Criticism?

It is important that students study literary theory and criticism because both offer different ways of interpreting
works of literature. Critical theories compete with one another for dominance in educational and cultural
communities. Each theory offers itself as the most (or the only) accurate means of understanding human
experience. Generally, theories, be they of any discipline, offer very different interpretations of history and of
current events, including interpretations of government policies. In many instances, advocates of the most
popular theories of the day usually receive the acclamation and respect. However, even within the ranks of any
given critical theory there are countless disagreements among practitioners that result in the emergence of
different schools of thought within a single theory. In fact, the history of every critical theory is, in effect, the
history of an ongoing debate among its own advocates as well as an ongoing debate with the advocates of
other theories. Thus, literary theory and criticism will help you in ―thinking theoretically, that is, to seeing the
assumptions, whether stated or not, that underlie every viewpoint.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Explain how both literary theory and criticism offer different ways of understanding a
literary text.
 CONCLUSION

It is explained in this module that literary theory refers to a particular form of literary criticism in which particular
academic, scientific, or philosophical approach is followed in a systematic fashion while analyzing literary texts.
In order words, literary theorists adapt systems of knowledge developed largely outside the realm of literary
studies (for instance philosophy or sociology) and impose them upon literary texts for the purpose of
discovering or developing new and unique understandings of those texts. From the foregoing discussions, we
have established that literary theory is an indispensable tool which literature uses to realize its goal of
sensitizing and educating the audience. That, by implication, suggests that the difficulty often encountered in a
literary text is often resolved by subjecting it to a particular theoretical analysis.

SUMMARY

This unit has established the fact that literary theory is an indispensable tool which literature uses to realize its
goal of sensitizing and educating the audience. It concludes by stating that the difficulty often encountered in a
literary text is often resolved by subjecting it to a particular theoretical analysis.

ASSIGNMENT

The history of every critical theory is, in effect, the history of an ongoing debate among its
own advocates as well as an ongoing debate with the advocates of other theories.
Discuss.

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[English 20]: [Literary Criticism]