An introduction to the discipline of Literature

Summary

This introduction to literature explores its essence as a study of human communication, encompassing a variety of texts from classical to modern. It emphasizes literature's role in fostering critical thinking, offering insights into societal values, and challenging traditional ideas of truth and identity. The script delves into the evolution of literary criticism, from Romanticism to post-structuralism, highlighting how it shapes our understanding of literature's relationship with society, culture, and individual identity.

Takeaways

• 📚 Literature is the study of human communication, encompassing a wide range of texts and forms of expression.
• 🎭 It includes the works of great writers and various literary genres such as Greek plays, romantic poems, and gothic novels.
• 🌐 Literature encourages embracing new ways of thinking and critically reading, questioning even the reasons behind our reading and writing habits.
• 🔍 For students of literature, all forms of communication are considered texts that can be critically analyzed, including social media and advertisements.
• 🤔 Studying literature helps to understand complex values and preoccupations, fostering empathy and the ability to imagine different lives.
• 🔑 Modern literary criticism began in the 19th century, with writers like Wordsworth exploring the nature of poetry and its relationship with the poet.
• 📚 Criticism has evolved to consider historical and cultural contexts, with Marxist critics like Terry Eagleton arguing literature is a product of its time and culture.
• 🌈 Post-colonial critics like Homi Bhabha examine the influence of colonial concepts and how they can be subverted by formerly colonized subjects.
• 👥 Feminist critics challenge traditional ideas of gender, with theorists like Judith Butler viewing gender as a performance influenced by culture and society.
• 🎭 Post-structuralist critics shifted focus from the author's intent to the interpretation of the reader, emphasizing the multiplicity of meanings in texts.
• 🌟 Literary criticism questions universal truths and the concept of truth itself, challenging our understanding of the world and our place within it.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of literature study according to the script?

The primary focus of literature study is the examination of human communication through various forms of expression, including texts by great writers, different literary genres, and even modern forms of communication like social media.

Which authors are mentioned in the script as examples of great writers?

The authors mentioned are Shakespeare, Cervantes, Jane Austen, and James Joyce.

What does literature offer beyond the study of texts by renowned authors?

Beyond studying texts, literature offers access to vibrant forms of expression, encourages new ways of thinking about the world, and helps in reading critically and understanding why we read and write.

How does the study of literature relate to modern forms of communication?

The study of literature extends to modern forms of communication such as rap lyrics, advertisements, films, stories, poems, diaries, letters, and social media statuses, considering all forms of communication as texts for critical inquiry.

What does the script suggest about the role of literature in understanding human societies?

The script suggests that literature helps in understanding the complex values and preoccupations of individuals, small communities, and whole societies, and it aids in imagining different life experiences.

What significant development in literary criticism is discussed in the script?

The script discusses the birth of modern literary criticism at the turn of the 19th century, with romantics like William Wordsworth defining poetry and exploring the relationship between poetry, the poet, and human interpretation.

How did Marxist literary critics view literature in relation to its time and culture?

Marxist literary critics, such as Terry Eagleton, argued that literature is not independent but rather a product of its time and culture.

What is the main argument presented by post-colonial critic Homi K. Bhabha in 'Signs Taken for Wonders'?

Homi K. Bhabha argued that colonial concepts pervasively influence post-colonial texts, but their appropriation by formerly colonized subjects can subvert these concepts, granting them power.

What do feminist critics like Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler contribute to the discussion of gender in literature?

Feminist critics like Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler have subjected traditional ideas of gender to fresh scrutiny, with Butler's 'Gender Trouble' suggesting that identities are not fixed at birth but are performed responses to culture and society.

How did post-structuralist critics like Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault approach the interpretation of texts?

Post-structuralist critics focused on interpretation rather than authorial intent. Roland Barthes announced the 'death of the author' and the 'birth of the reader,' while Michel Foucault proposed that there is no single right reading of a text, emphasizing the importance of multiple, often conflicting interpretations.

What impact does literary criticism have on our understanding of the world and ourselves?

Literary criticism challenges the ways we think about the world and how it should be ordered. It helps us understand who we are and encourages us to think smarter and aim higher.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Literature and Its Study

This paragraph introduces the concept of literature as a study of human communication, encompassing a wide range of texts from classic plays to modern social media updates. It emphasizes literature's role in exploring expression and critical thinking, and how it invites us to understand different perspectives and experiences. The paragraph also touches on the evolution of literary criticism, from the romantics' focus on the poet's language to modern criticism that considers historical, cultural, and societal contexts.

Keywords

💡Literature

Literature is broadly defined as the body of written works, including novels, plays, and poetry. In the context of the video, literature is presented as a means to study human communication, encompassing a wide range of texts from various historical periods and cultures. It is central to the theme of understanding expression and critical thinking about the world.

💡Human Communication

Human communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, and feelings through various mediums. The video emphasizes that literature is not just about written texts but also about the broader concept of how humans convey and interpret messages, which is integral to understanding literature's role in society.

💡Critical Inquiry

Critical inquiry refers to the process of asking probing questions and analyzing information to form a judgment. The video suggests that studying literature involves a critical examination of texts, questioning why and how we read and write, and exploring the underlying values and preoccupations of societies.

💡Texts

In the script, 'texts' is used to denote not only traditional literary works but also various forms of human expression such as rap lyrics, advertisements, films, and social media posts. This broadens the concept of literature to include any form of communication that conveys ideas and experiences.

💡Modern Literary Criticism

Modern literary criticism emerged as a field in the 19th century, focusing on the analysis and interpretation of literature. The video mentions that it began with romantics like William Wordsworth, who sought to define poetry and explore the relationship between the poet and the language used, setting the stage for deeper explorations of literature's meaning.

💡Historical and Cultural Contexts

The video discusses how understanding the historical and cultural contexts from which literature emerges is crucial. This includes recognizing that literature is a product of its time and culture, as argued by Marxist literary critics like Terry Eagleton, who emphasize the influence of societal structures on literary works.

💡Identity

Identity in the video refers to the concept of selfhood as it is shaped by societal and cultural influences. Critics like Homi K. Bhabha and Judith Butler are mentioned for their work on how identity is constructed and performed in response to societal norms, particularly in the context of post-colonial and feminist studies.

💡Post-Colonial Texts

Post-colonial texts are literary works that deal with the aftermath of colonialism and its impact on societies. The video highlights how critics like Homi K. Bhabha have analyzed the pervasive influence of colonial concepts in these texts and how they can be subverted by formerly colonized subjects.

💡Feminist Criticism

Feminist criticism is a school of thought that examines literature through the lens of gender, sexuality, and feminism. The video cites Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler, who have challenged traditional notions of gender and identity, arguing that they are not fixed but are instead performed and constructed.

💡Post-Structuralism

Post-structuralism is a movement in literary theory that emerged in the 1960s, focusing on the idea that there is no single, definitive meaning to a text. The video mentions critics like Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, who argued for the importance of multiple interpretations and the death of the author's intent in favor of the reader's experience.

💡Interpretation

Interpretation in the context of the video refers to the act of reading and understanding a text in various ways. It is highlighted as a key aspect of post-structuralist thought, where the multiplicity of meanings and the reader's role in constructing those meanings are emphasized.

Highlights

Literature is the study of human communication, encompassing great writers and diverse texts.

Literature offers access to vibrant forms of expression and encourages new ways of thinking about the world.

Studying literature helps us read critically and question why we read and write.

All forms of communication are considered texts in the study of literature.

Rap lyrics, advertisements, films, and social media statuses are all texts for critical inquiry.

Literature helps us understand complex values and preoccupations of individuals, communities, and societies.

Studying literature enables us to imagine different lives and perspectives.

Modern literary criticism emerged in the 19th century with romantics like William Wordsworth.

Wordsworth explored the relationship between poetry and the poet, focusing on language use and interpretation.

Criticism evolved to consider historical and cultural contexts of literature.

Marxist critics like Terry Eagleton argue that literature is a product of its time and culture.

Post-colonial critics examine the influence of colonial concepts and their subversion by formerly colonized subjects.

Feminist critics challenge traditional ideas of gender as fixed, proposing they are performed responses to culture.

Post-structuralist critics focus on interpretation rather than authorial intent.

Roland Barthes announced the 'death of the author' and the 'birth of the reader', emphasizing reader interpretation.

Michel Foucault proposed that there is no single right reading of a text, valuing multiple interpretations.

Literary criticism challenges our thinking about the world and the concept of truth itself.

Studying literature helps us understand our identities and how we perceive the world.

Transcripts

welcome to the macat multimedia series

and to my cat's introduction to

literature literature is the study of

human communication it deals of course

with great writers from Shakespeare to

Cervantes Jane Austen to James Joyce and

it deals with texts Greek plays romantic

poems gothic novels set in gloomy

castles but it's also about more than

that

literature offers access to vibrant

forms of expression and asks us to

embrace new ways of thinking about the

world it shows us how to read critically

even asking why we read and write at all

above all it explores how we communicate

ideas and why so for a student of

literature all forms of communication

are considered texts and can become the

focus of critical inquiry rap lyrics the

language of advertisements our favorite

films stories poems diaries letters even

our constantly updated statuses on

social media platforms all our products

of the urge to share ideas and

experiences and each offers its own

insights into the ways that we as humans

see the world so to study literature is

to open a gateway to understanding

complex values and preoccupations of

individuals small communities and even

whole societies it helps us to imagine

what it is like to be someone else and

to live a better more exciting or simply

different life in our own minds because

literature is complex though we need to

decode it and at the turn of the 19th

century writers themselves began to

experiment with new ways of looking at

the written word modern literary

criticism was born as romantics such as

William Wordsworth sought to define

poetry

in his preface to lyrical balance

Wordsworth explored the relationship

between the poetry and the poet rather

than the reader

he asked what sort of language poets

should use and how their words are

interpreted by human minds a hundred

years later criticism had moved beyond

the page new schools have thought

emerged that sought to understand the

historical and cultural backgrounds from

which literature emerged contexts began

to change as well

Marxist literary critics such as Terry

Eagleton argued that literature is not

independent of its time and culture but

rather a product of it other thinkers

focused on identity looking at the ways

in which an author's sense of self is

produced by society's dominant

ideologies in signs taken for wonders

the critic homie Kay Baba outlined the

pervasive influence of colonial concepts

in post-colonial texts while suggesting

paradoxically that their appropriation

by formerly colonized subjects brought

with it the power to subvert them

feminist critics such as Simone de

Beauvoir who proposed that one is not

born but rather becomes a woman and

Judith Butler have subjected our ideas

of gender to fresh scrutiny Butler's

gender trouble agrees that identities

are not fixed at birth and sees them as

performed responses to culture and

society from the 1960s fresh generations

of critics were turning their attention

away from the creators of texts these

post structuralists looked beyond

authorial intent to focus on

interpretation and while Roland Barthes

was announcing the death of the author

and the birth of the reader Michel

Foucault proposed in his archaeology of

knowledge that there is no single right

reading of a text for both critics it

was the multiple often conflicting

interpretations that text produced that

mattered not least because read in the

whay literature questions apparently

universal truths even the idea of truth

itself literary criticism challenges the

ways we think about the world and how it

should be ordered it helps us understand

who we are and how we are come inside to

find out more maquette earn better think

smarter aim higher