ENGL 90130 - Problems of Representation and Interpretation

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

The primary purpose of this course is to promote a careful consideration of some of the most basic questions concerning the nature of the literary work (and in some cases of the work of art in general), its interpretation, and its relation to culture and society. Although the discussion will focus on specific philosophical, theoretical, and critical works from different periods and traditions (ranging from classical antiquity to the present), this course is not meant to be a historical survey and it is not designed to treat all the major currents and schools of thought that fall under the capacious rubric of theory. The earliest class sessions will be devoted to a close examination of Plato's writings on poetry and art (especially the Ion, Phaedrus, and the relevant sections of the Republic), Aristotle's Poetics, and Horace's Art of Poetry. The central issues articulated in these works recur frequently and with many variations throughout the history of literary criticism and theory in works as diverse as Sidney's Defence of Poetry and Pope's Essay on Criticism, which will be discussed before turning to theorists and critics whose approaches go the same or similar questions (for example, the mimetic or non-mimetic character of the work of art or the relation of beauty to truth) are strongly influenced by Kant's aesthetic theory. Some class sessions will be devoted to the debates on classicism and formalism in the late 19th and early 20th century that, among other things, strongly influenced analyses and assessments of the major works of literary modernism. (Discussion will be based on selections from the writings of T. E. Hulme, T. S. Eliot, and the American "new critics".) After looking at the contributions of Adorno and Lukacs (whose writings evince the influence of Hegel), we will turn our attention to hermeneutics and poststructuralist theory and study selected writings by Gadamer, De Man, Derrida, Foucault, and Lyotard. Terry Eagleton's Illusions of Postmodernism will be used as the basis for a critique of the poststructuralist "turn" in theory. The last few sessions of the course will be devoted to discussions on the relation of literature to history, culture and society, and on the function of criticism based on readings from Matthew Arnold, Erich Auerbach, and Edward W. Said. Participating in this course will require a considerable amount of reading. In addition to attentively studying the required texts for each class sessions, everyone will be expected to also look up and read other pertinent works, such as commentaries and critiques on the assigned readings. The seminar format of the course makes it essential that all participants come to each session with detailed notes that will constitute the basis of their contribution to class discussion. Active participation in class discussion is a requirement as is a final 25 - 30 page paper on a topic that will be first discussed individually with the instructor.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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