This topic is a special series for the book named Literary Theory:A Guide for The Perplexed. And it is also my first series which are writen by English. Literary Theory is a great book which Mary Klages, teacher of the University of Colorado, writes.

The title of this series is “My View of Literary Theory”. I would pay attention on introducing and disscussing “literary theory” in erery era. It is also a pratice and challenge to me. Nowadays, there are too many books which is doublespeak to introduce theory. In this book, Mary Klages says she attempts to help the perplexed out of so-called theoretical doublespeak. I also want to try to make this series intresting and easily to ereryone. Finally for starting, for this series, I am willing to use the structure from Mary Klages’s book. And the main points and most of ideas also come from this book. Someone would say that it is like stealling. If so, for me, it is like some summaries and feelings when I read this book.

Why do we need to study Literary Theory? Actually, for me, it is like a addition to me. In past few years, I read some books about Aesthetics and Chinese Traditional Literary Theory. I found some connections with Aesthetics and Chinese Traditional Literary Theory. For another reason, about one years ago, I read a book named Break down The Door:The history and problems of Aesthetics, which is writen by Yi Zhongtian, professor of Xiamen University. In this book, Yi said that art almost started up eariest in culture and civilization. What that means? Art must be great useful! Why? Primitive men woud rather do not eat anything, however, they needed art! But what is the usefulness of art? This problem’s answer is what I want to find out.

What is Literary Theory?

For me, it is totally a diffcult question, because it seems hard to define it. Some people think that Literay Theory is hard to understand for this reason. They are scared that they cannot “get it” and heard that this topic is more about abstract philosophy. Not only does not this problem happen in normal people who wnat to understand “Literary Theory”, but also students who study in faculty of literary in gerenal. In author’s school, University of Colorado, facutly usually suggests that students learn this curriculum in first or second year, but most students put it off until their final year for this reason. Actually, it is a diffcult question. We will talk about it later.

Thinking about another question,have you ever read some literary wroks? Of course, most people would raise their hands. William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Bacon, Charles Dickens, Margaret Mitchell and so many other great writers write a number of famous literary works. And people often read it by this or that ways. Neverthless, how did you know? Certainly,if you go into a bookstore, there would have a category like “Literature” or “Fiction and Literature”. But how do these workers konw which book is a literary work exactly? Does these work have to be written down? Or printed? Of course not, because if here is a book like Gone with The Wind, everyone, except illiterate, knows this book is a kind of literature. Are we having some special talented? Some one would say that it is condsidered by value. Someone in authority, usually a teacher, has told you these or those books that are worth to read. But as we see, here lacks a standard of “Value”. Is Shakespeare more “valueable” than a plumbing manual? Which level can be considered “Literary”?

On the other hand, usually, a book which has high attention for a long time is considered classic. However, this book also has its babay period. How could the schlock bookstore fiction of their time be thought of as “classic” today? This scene tells that we judge as “valueable” “literature” now might not be immutable and timeless, because standards of literary value is alaways changing.

Now, these points do not help you to come up with the definition of “Literary Theory”. In Mary Klages’s book, she said that “Literary Theory” is not somthing you learn, it is soming you become aware of, in this sense. It is a intresting opinion, for a long time, you just read books and get some ideas about “literature”. In the other words, you have already had a theory or theories. All of you doing, it just articulates them together. And it is the main work which is this series going to do.

To sum up, what is “Literary Theory”? Sorry, this question is no a exact answer. However, what should you do? It likely has a answer. Articulating “theories” and finding the differences with “literature” and “not literature”. Futhermore, in my opinion, mainly, we need to slove two questions in literary filed: what disciplines should we follow? And why are disciplines effectively?

Why Is This Theory Useful?

“What do you make? What’s your products?”, there are two questions which is usually asked by people. These questions are also two serious problems for all theoretical subjects, especially the subjects, such as philosophy or literary  which are abstract. Actually, theoretical physics is able to describe and predict our universe very well. Moreover, theoretical subjects of natural science almost can work out some stuff which can make people understand this world deeper.

Of course, comparing literary theory with applied subjects, like enginnering, programmer, or even applied physics, in this monetary economic concerns, how could English majors persuade wealthy donors that they should geve their money to them?

There are another kind of questions of literature which need to slove. “How does it mean? What does it produce? wht effect does that have on us and on our world?” No doubt, that is what “Literary Theory” ultimately is about. This situation is simarily as philosophy and art have. And in last part of post, I also try to tell you this strange thing. We all know that philosophy, art, and literary theory art very important. However, we do not know the reasons. These questions of value are  one of ultimately purpose of these abstract subjects.

Don’t Worry! Just Move ON!

At the end of this post, I would like to thank people who read this boring post. As the mysterious message tell Sophie in Sophie’s World,

Be prepared oto have your mind blown, to question everything, to enter into a world-view, a way of thinking, that will feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar at the least, and possibly profoundly disturbing.

—Literary Theory:A Guide for The Perplexed, What Is “Literary Theory”.

Moreover, I hope that this series can help you to enter philosophy world. I do not want that this series just become a book which disscuss “literature”. I wish that it can be a key which can open the door of philosophy.

P.S.: I do not check whether the words spelling and grammar are correct or not. So if you find some mistakes about words spelling, grammartic wrong, and having questions or comments of this post, please leave some comments. I would be glad to mend them and reply your opinion.