| History of Literary Criticism & Theory IV (w/CLit 510) | Benitez | TTh 3:30-5:20 |
Introduction to Theory: Subjection and Subjectivity
The course description mandates that the class cover the history of literary criticism and theory since about 1965. This would be an impossible and problematic task. It is impossible because one does not have the time to cover all the different theoretical frameworks that have emerged in the second half of the 20th century in one quarter. It is problematic because the very concept of history itself and the knowledge and powers organized around claims of history were among the major issues motivating these theoretical debates. It is also problematic in designating Òabout 1965Ó as a cut-off date. The date and its modifier allude to an awareness of the structures that subtend academic inquiry and what we profess. Consequently, while we shall knowingly labor under this condition, we shall frame our explorations through the theme of subjection and subjectivity. The class then will provide an introduction to the major debates and currents in contemporary literary theory and shall do so through the exploration of specific theorists.
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