02 - Literature as a World [Pascale Casanova]

Summary

The video explores the concept of world literary space, focusing on Pascale Casanova's theory of literature as a parallel, autonomous territory that mediates between the world and literary works. It delves into the relationship between literature and history, highlighting how literary theory and criticism address this connection differently. Casanova critiques the idea of 'world literature' and presents a dynamic, uneven literary space shaped by political, social, and cultural struggles. The discussion emphasizes the temporal and spatial inequalities in literature and how writers occupy both national and global positions within this space.

Takeaways

• 🌐 **World and Literature**: The terms 'world' and 'literature' are distinct, with 'world' referring to the global context and 'literature' to artistic texts.
• 🤔 **Questioning the Bond**: Literature's relationship with history and the world is a complex and ongoing question in literary studies.
• 📚 **Criticism vs. Theory**: Criticism is text-based and internal, while theory applies external knowledge to interpret literature.
• 🔄 **Mediating Space**: Casanova proposes a space between the world and literature where literary works exist relatively autonomously.
• 🎭 **Struggles and Refraction**: Various worldly struggles, including political and social, enter this mediating space but are refracted through a literary logic.
• 🏆 **World Literary Space**: Casanova rejects the concept of 'world literature' as a body of work and instead sees it as a space between the world and literature.
• 📈 **Evolution of Literary Space**: The literary space has grown from a small emergence in France and England to a global scale, becoming inconsistent and uneven.
• 📉 **Inequality and Autonomy**: Literary space is characterized by structural inequalities, with some areas having more literary autonomy than others.
• 🌀 **Greenwich Meridian of Literature**: There is an uneven scope of literary space, with a center of power and areas ahead or behind in 'literary time'.
• ⏳ **Temporalities in Literature**: Literary movements and criticism deal with temporalities, with works moving in and out of the literary canon.
• 🌍 **Global and National Positions**: Every writer occupies both a national and a global position within the literary space, indicating a complex interplay between the two.

Q & A

What is the main proposition of the script regarding the relationship between 'world' and 'literature'?

The script suggests that 'world' and 'literature' are distinct concepts that are not inherently related. It emphasizes the need to understand the relationship between literature, history, and the world, and proposes that literature can both reflect the world and create its own worlds.

What does the script say about the role of criticism and theory in studying literature?

Criticism is primarily text-based and focuses on the world within the text, while theory adopts a broader perspective by applying theories from other domains to understand literature. Both criticism and theory are in a constant negotiation to establish a bond between literature and the world.

What is the mediating space proposed by Casanova between 'world' and 'literature'?

Casanova proposes a mediating space that is relatively autonomous from the political domain and dedicated to the invention of specifically literary nature. This space allows struggles from the world to enter but they are refracted according to a literary logic.

How does Casanova define 'world literary space'?

Casanova defines 'world literary space' as a space between the world and the body of works, where literary activity occurs. It is a space with interconnected positions, and literary activity is seen as a world in its own.

What does the script suggest about the global scale of literary space?

The script suggests that literary space is global in scale but is also uneven, with different cultures and spaces having varying degrees of autonomy and influence.

How does the script explain the concept of 'literary time'?

The script explains 'literary time' as the temporal progression of aesthetic modernity within literary space, where certain spaces may be ahead or behind others in terms of literary development.

What is the significance of the Nobel Prize in the context of the script?

The Nobel Prize is cited as an indicator of the existence of a world literary space, where the artistic merit of works is debated, and winners gain global literary fame.

What does the script mean by the 'Greenwich Meridian of literature'?

The 'Greenwich Meridian of literature' refers to the center of literary power, from which literary time and influence radiate. As one moves away from this center, the influence of aesthetic modernity varies.

How does the script describe the relationship between national and international literary spaces?

The script describes the relationship as not being separate spheres but rather occupying the same domain, with national and international struggles taking place within national borders.

What are the primary characteristics of literary space according to the script?

The primary characteristics of literary space are hierarchy and inequality, with autonomy being a significant factor that influences the literary resources available within the space.

What are the three modes of domination in the lateral space mentioned in the script?

The three modes of domination in the lateral space are linguistic, literary, and political, with literary often being overshadowed by linguistic or political modes.