Literary Criticism and Theories DENG501 Edited by: Dr. Gowher Ahmad Naik LITERARY CRITICISM AND THEORIES Edited By Dr. Gowher Ahmad Naik Printed by USI PUBLICATIONS 2/31, Nehru Enclave, Kalkaji Ext., New Delhi-110019 for Lovely Professional University Phagwara SYLLABUS Literary Criticism and Theories Sr. Content No. 1 Aristotle’s Poetics 2 Stanley Fish . 3 Jaques Derrida 4 Lionel Trilling 5 Jaques Lacan 6 Mikhail Bakhtin 7 Edward Said and Orientalism 8 Gynocriticism and Feminist Criticism 9 Elaine Showwalter Four models of Feminism 10 Umberto’s Eco’s Casablanca: Cult Movies and inter-textual Collage CONTENTS Unit 1: Aristotle: The Poetics—Introduction to the Author and the Text 1 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 2: Aristotle: The Poetics: Introduction, Tragedy 15 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 3: Aristotle: The Poetics-Catharsis and Hamartia 33 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 4: Aristotle: The Poetics: Ideal Tragic Hero, Comedy 45 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 5: Is There a Text in This Class—Introduction to Stanley Fish 52 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 6: Is There a Text In This Class—Stanley Fish: Analysis 59 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 7: Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences—Jacques Derrida 74 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 8: Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’—Jacques Derrida: Detailed Study 91 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 9: Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’—Jacques Derrida: Critical Appreciation 102 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 10: Freud and Literature—Lionel Trilling: An Introduction 113 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 11: Freud and Literature—Lionel Trilling: Detailed Study 121 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 12: Freud and Literature—Lionel Trilling: Critical Appreciation 128 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 13: The Insistence of the Letter in the Unconscious—Jacques Lacan: An Introduction 137 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 14: The Insistence of the Letter in the Unconscious— Jacques Lacan: Detailed Study 149 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 15: The Insistence of the Letter in the Unconcious— Jacques Lacan: Critical Appreciation 166 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 16: Mikhail Bakhtin and his ‘From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse-Dialogics in Novels: Introduction 176 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 17: Mikhail Bakhtin and his “From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse”—Dialogics in Novels: Detailed Study 185 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 18: Mikhail Bakhtin and his ‘From the Prehistory of Novelistic Discourse (Textual Analysis with Chronotopes and Perennial Narativity) 198 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 19: Two Types of Orientalism—Orientalism as a Literary Theory 209 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 20: Edward Said's Crisis [In Orientalism]: Textual Analysis 225 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 21: Edward Said's Crisis [In Orientalism]: Detailed Study 240 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 22: Edward Said's Crisis [In Orientalism]: Inter-Textual Analysis (Alluding Fanon, Foucaut and Bhabha) 250 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 23: Gynocriticism and Feminist Criticism: An Introduction 259 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 24: Features of Feminist Criticism 269 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 25: Gynocriticism and Feminist Criticism: Analysis 276 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 26: Elaine Showalter: Four Models of Feminism in 'Ferminist Criticism in the Wilderness' 282 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 27: Elaine Showalter: Four Models of Feminism in “Feminist Criticism in Wilderness” —Biological and Linguistic Difference 288 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 28: Elaine Showalter: Four Models of Feminism in “Feminist Criticism in Wilderness” —Psychological and Cultural Difference 305 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 29: Umberto Eco’s ‘Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage’ (History and War-Background) 316 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 30: Umberto Eco's 'Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage’ (Textual Analysis) 327 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Unit 31: Umberto Eco’s ‘Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage’ (Deconstructing and Disciplinarising Hollywood) 336 Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 32: Umberto Eco’s ‘Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage’ (Intertextual Analysis) 346 Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University Unit 1: Aristotle: The Poetics—Introduction to the Author and the Text Unit 1: Aristotle: The Poetics— Notes Introduction to the Author and the Text CONTENTS Objectives Introduction 1.1 Life and Works of Aristotle 1.2 Aristotle’s Poetics—An Introduction 1.3 “The Poetics”: Its Universal Significance 1.4 Plato’s Objection to Poetry 1.5 Aristotle’s Views on Poetry 1.6 Summary 1.7 Key-Words 1.8 Review Questions 1.9 Further Readings Objectives After reading this Unit students will be able to: • Know about Aristotle’s Works and His Life. • Understand Aristotle’s Views on Poetry. Introduction In this unit we shall try to know about Aristotle and his life and works and also understand about the relationship between Criticism and Creativity. We shall see how criticism is valued like creative writings. We shall know the role and place given to 'the critic' in the field of literary criticism. In order to appreciate Aristotle's criticism of poetry and the fine arts it is essential to have some knowledge of literary criticism in antiquity prior to him, of the current critical theories and methods, and of the general, social and political conditions that prevailed in Greece at that time. It is also essential to have an idea of the views of Aristotle on ethics and morality in general. The history of literary criticism has witnessed several critics who themselves had not been creative writers. Plato and Aristotle were such critics who gave guidelines of good literature without themselves being creative writers. Plato was the most distinguished disciple of Socrates. The 4th century BC to which he belonged was an age of inquiry and as such his chief interest was Philosophical investigations, which form the subject of his great works in form of Dialogues. He was not a professed critic of literature and his critical observations are not found in any single book. They lie scattered in seven of his dialogues, more particularly in The Ion, The Symposium, The Republic and the Laws. The first objection to his critical views came form his disciple, Aristotle. 1.1 Life and Works of Aristotle Aristotle was born of a well-to-do family in the Macedonian town of Stagira in 384 B.C. Hence the nickname Stagirite given to him by Pope. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician who died when Aristotle was young. In 367, when Aristotle was seventeen, his uncle, Proxenus, sent him to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. There he remained, first as a pupil, later as an associate, for the next twenty years. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 1 Literary Criticism and Theories Notes At Plato's Academy At seventeen, in B.C. 368-67, Aristotle began the first phase of his career-a twenty years' residence in Athens as a member of Plato's Academy. When Plato died in 347, the Academy came under the control of his nephew Speusippus, who favored mathematical aspects of Platonism that Aristotle, who was more interested in biology, found uncongenial. Perhaps for this reason - but more likely because of growing anti-Macedonian sentiment in Athens - Aristotle decided to leave. He accepted the invitation of Hermeias, his friend and a former fellow student in the Academy, to join his philosophical circle on the coast of Asia Minor in Assos, where Hermeias (a former slave) had become ruler. Aristotle remained there for three years. During this period he married Hermeias's niece, Pythias, with whom he had a daughter, also named Pythias. In 345, Aristotle moved to Mytilene, on the nearby island of Lesbos, where he joined another former Academic, Theophrastus, who was a native of the island. Theophrastus, at first Aristotle's pupil and then his closest colleague, remained associated with him until Aristotle's death. While they were on Lesbos the biological research of Aristotle and Theophrastus flourished. In 343, Philip of Macedon invited Aristotle to his court to serve as tutor to his son Alexander, then thirteen years old. What instruction Aristotle gave to the young man who was to become Alexander the Great is not known, but it seems likely that Aristotle's own interest in politics increased during his stay at the Macedonian court. In 340 Alexander was appointed regent for his father and his studies with Aristotle ended. The events of the next five years are uncertain. Perhaps Aristotle stayed at the court; perhaps he went back to Stagira. But in 335, after the death of Philip, he returned to Athens for his second long sojourn. Just outside the city he rented some buildings and established his own