Beginning theory
An introduction to literary and cultural theory
Second edition Peter Barry
© Peter Barry 1995, 2002
ISBN: 0719062683
Contents
Acknowledgements - page x
Preface to the second edition - xii
Introduction - 1
About this book - 1
Approaching theory - 6 Slop and think: reviewing your study of literature
,to date - 8
My own 'stock-taking' - 9
1 Theory before 'theory' - liberal humanism - 11
The history of English studies - 11
Stop and think - 11
Ten tenets of liberal humanism - 16 Literary theorising from Aristotle to Leavis -
some key moments - 21
Liberal humanism in practice - 31
The transition to 'theory' - 32
Some recurrent ideas in critical theory - 34
Selected reading - 36
2 Structuralism - 39
Structuralist chickens and liberal humanist eggs 39
Signs of the fathers - Saussure - 41
Stop and think - 45
The scope of structuralism - 46
What structuralist critics do - 49
Structuralist criticism: examples - 50
Stop and think - 53
Stop and think - 55
,Stop and think - 57
Selected reading - 60
3 Post-structuralism and deconstruction - 61
Some theoretical differences between structuralism and
post-structuralism - 61
Post-structuralism - life on a decentred planet - 65
Stop and think - 68 Structuralism and post-structuralism - some practical
differences - 70
What post-structuralist critics do - 73
Deconstruction: an example - 73
Selected reading - 79
4 Postmodernism - 81
What is postmodernism? What was modernism? - 81 'Landmarks' in postmodernism:
Habermas, Lyotard
and Baudrillard - 85
Stop and think - 90
What postmodernist critics do - 91
Postmodernist criticism: an example - 91
Selected reading - 94
5 Psychoanalytic criticism - 96
Introduction - 96
, How Freudian interpretation works - 98
Stop and think - 101
Freud and evidence - 102
What Freudian psychoanalytic critics do - 105
Freudian psychoanlaytic criticism: examples - 105
Lacan - 108
What Lacanian critics do - 115
Lacanian criticism: an example - 115
Selected reading - 118
6 Feminist criticism - 121
Feminism and feminist criticism - 121
Feminist criticism and the role of theory - 124
Feminist criticism and language - 126
Feminist criticism and psychoanalysis - 130
Stop and think - 133
What feminist critics do - 134
feminist criticism: an example - 134
Selected reading - 136
7 Lesbian/gay criticism - 139
Lesbian and gay theory - 139
Lesbian feminism - 140
An introduction to literary and cultural theory
Second edition Peter Barry
© Peter Barry 1995, 2002
ISBN: 0719062683
Contents
Acknowledgements - page x
Preface to the second edition - xii
Introduction - 1
About this book - 1
Approaching theory - 6 Slop and think: reviewing your study of literature
,to date - 8
My own 'stock-taking' - 9
1 Theory before 'theory' - liberal humanism - 11
The history of English studies - 11
Stop and think - 11
Ten tenets of liberal humanism - 16 Literary theorising from Aristotle to Leavis -
some key moments - 21
Liberal humanism in practice - 31
The transition to 'theory' - 32
Some recurrent ideas in critical theory - 34
Selected reading - 36
2 Structuralism - 39
Structuralist chickens and liberal humanist eggs 39
Signs of the fathers - Saussure - 41
Stop and think - 45
The scope of structuralism - 46
What structuralist critics do - 49
Structuralist criticism: examples - 50
Stop and think - 53
Stop and think - 55
,Stop and think - 57
Selected reading - 60
3 Post-structuralism and deconstruction - 61
Some theoretical differences between structuralism and
post-structuralism - 61
Post-structuralism - life on a decentred planet - 65
Stop and think - 68 Structuralism and post-structuralism - some practical
differences - 70
What post-structuralist critics do - 73
Deconstruction: an example - 73
Selected reading - 79
4 Postmodernism - 81
What is postmodernism? What was modernism? - 81 'Landmarks' in postmodernism:
Habermas, Lyotard
and Baudrillard - 85
Stop and think - 90
What postmodernist critics do - 91
Postmodernist criticism: an example - 91
Selected reading - 94
5 Psychoanalytic criticism - 96
Introduction - 96
, How Freudian interpretation works - 98
Stop and think - 101
Freud and evidence - 102
What Freudian psychoanalytic critics do - 105
Freudian psychoanlaytic criticism: examples - 105
Lacan - 108
What Lacanian critics do - 115
Lacanian criticism: an example - 115
Selected reading - 118
6 Feminist criticism - 121
Feminism and feminist criticism - 121
Feminist criticism and the role of theory - 124
Feminist criticism and language - 126
Feminist criticism and psychoanalysis - 130
Stop and think - 133
What feminist critics do - 134
feminist criticism: an example - 134
Selected reading - 136
7 Lesbian/gay criticism - 139
Lesbian and gay theory - 139
Lesbian feminism - 140
