Chapter 25 American Theory and Criticism- II Background In the previous chapter you have seen the spread of structuralist

and poststructuralist theories in American academia. In this chapter you will learn about the subsequent developments in theoretical approaches and criticism. French Feminism The history of American feminist theory since 1970 includes oppostion between American and !rench feminist schools within American universities. "a#or efforts were made to e$plore patriarchy and androcentric values. !eminist critics in the early 1970s paid much attention to literary wor%s with a view to revealin& their reductive and politically problematic modes of representin& women' often developin& formalistic analyses of deni&ratin& stereotypes' symbols' and the li%e. (ate "illett)s Sexual Politics *1970+ is a si&nificant wor% in this field' which analy,ed four male modernists' namely' -. .. /awrence' 0ean 1enet' 2orman "ailer' and .enry "iller and the miso&ynistic elements in their wor%s. Theoretically' 0acques /acan was of immense importance to a lar&e number of American feminist theorists wor%in& in the 1930s and 1990s' notably 4hoshana !elman Teresa de /auretis' -iana !uss' and 0udith 5utler. 6ou will learn about these writers in &reater detail in 7hapters 89 and 90.

Elaine Showalter and

gynocriticism!

1ynocriticism essentially refers to a shift in feminists) attention away from the readin&s of

male writers) misrepresentations of women and towards the more historical study of women writers in terms of their notions of patriarchy. &ynocriticism encoura&ed two thin&s: the recovery of a till then ne&lected tradition of women)s writin&' and analy,in& those features of women)s e$perience historically undervalued by predominantly male critics. ;ell<%nown wor%s of the 70s in this cate&ory includes 4howalter)s A Literature of Their Own and 4andra 1ilbert and 4usan 1ubar)s Madwoman in the Attic . -urin& the 30s' Toril "oi)s Sexual/Textual Politics stressed the inadequacies of &ynocriticism and recommended an emanicipatory *antihumanist+ feminist te$tualism. /i%ewise' 0ane 1allop)s Feminism and Psychoanalysisreinforced /acan)s relevance to contemporary feminist theory by revealin& in his wor% a sustained critique of phallocentrism.

Edward Said =dward ;. 4aid e$pressed dissatisfaction with structuralist and poststructuralist te$tualism in his essay The ;orld' the Te$t' and the 7ritic *1979+' in which he states' theory has placed undue emphasis upon the limitlessness of interpretation . . . This is a view I oppose' not simply because te$ts are in the world' but also because as te$ts is to place themselves< that is' one of their functions as te$ts is to place themselves<and they are themselves actin&' in the world. 4aid in his formidable Orientalism *1973+ loo%s towards "ichel !oucault as well as to !rant, !anon' whose wor%s to&ether informed his characteri,ation of the >rient as an ima&ined >ther' constructed in a broad ran&e of fictional and nonfictional te$ts in terms of a series of antitheses *indolent' deceitful' feminine' etc.+. !or 4aid' literary te$ts and other

representations play a crucial role in maintainin& power *as in !oucault+. 4aid)s Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism *1999+ collectively e$erted a stron& influence on the field of postcolonial studies.

"ew #istoricism and Cultural Studies 2ew .istoricism and 7ultural 4tudies in America durin& the 70s and 30s owe much to the shift from deconstructive te$tualism and move towards a !oucauldian culturalism as a consequence of a broadenin& of the poststructuralist hori,ons of si&nificance. 2ew .istoricism was promoted in the wor% of scholars such as 4tephen 1reenblatt * enaissance Self!Fashionin"' 1930? Practicin" the #ew $istoricism' 8000+' centered on 4ha%espeare and @enaissance studies. 7ultural studies' variously applied to a broad ran&e cultural te$ts' *sitcoms' cybor&' fashion' rap and hip<hop music' etc.+' found early e$pression in America in the wor% of the neo<"ar$ist scholar !rederic 0ameson who has &one on to issue a number of si&nificant wor%s on postmodernism *The Ideolo"ies of Theory' 1933? Postmodernism and Cultural Theories' 1939? Postmodernism% or% The Cultural Lo"ic of Late Capitalism' 1991+. Beyond $ameson 0ameson)s studies have been ta%en up in a number of diverse conte$ts' includin& postcolonial theory and the field of 1lobali,ation and cosmopolitan studies *see Arif -irli% Postmodernity&s $istories' 8000+.

Culture wars American academia)s contest for control of the intellectual culture of the university as for American culture consisted lar&ely in the publication of materials over such areas as the correct constitution of the literary canon' claims of multiculturalism' and the constraints of interdisciplinary research. 7ounted amon& si&nificant te$ts of this nature are Allan 5loom)s Closin" of the American Mind *1937+' .arold 5loom)s 'estern Canon *199A+' =. -. .irsch)s Cultural Literacy *1937+' and 0ohn =llis)s A"ainst (econstruction *1939+. >n the other hand' more radical wor%s are 7ay 2elson)s Manifesto of a Tenured adical *1997+' 4taley !ish)s (oin" 'hat Comes #aturally *1939+' *1990+. The si&nificance of these debates lies in the fact that they helped to inform the public)s perception of what e$actly &oes on in university classrooms in the name of a liberal education how &overnments funds departments' pro#ects and other wor%s in the .umanities. !or better understandin& of these debates' you can refer to 1erald 1raff)s history of the study of =n&lish literature' Professin" Literature *1937+. and 7harles Alteri)s Canons and Conse)uences

Conclusion

/iterary theory in America has evolved lar&ely in dialo&ue with the continental =uropean philosophy and literary theory. In the early years of the twenty<first century' there has been an increased contact between international thin%ers.

%&I' Answer the (ollowing in )rie(* i. ;hat are the important wor%s of culture wars B ii. ;hat is &ynocriticismB iii. ;hat is the contribution of =dward 4aid to the field of postcolonial studiesB 2+ Fill in the )lanks* i. 4tephen 1reenblatt)s wor%s focused on CCCC. and CCCCC.studies. ii. (ate "illett)s ****+analy,ed four male modernists and the miso&ynistic elements in their wor%s. iii. 1erald)s 1raff)s history of the study of =n&lish literatureCCCCCC is an account of the culture wars in the American academia. Answer key i. 4ha%espeae ' @enaissance ii. Sexual Politics iii. Professin" Literature

Selected readings*

1. 5ertens' .ans. /iterary Theory: The 5asics. /ondon D 26: @outled&e' 8001 2. -ou&las At%ins' 1 D "orrow' /aura *ed+. Contemporary Literary Theory. Eniversity

"anchester Fress: "ac"illan' 1939.

3. /od&e' -avid *ed+. Modern Criticism , Theory- A

eader. .arlow: Fearson

=ducation /td' 1933. Selected we)sites*

http:GGen.wi%ipedia.or&Gwi%iG2ewH.istoricism http:GGwww.youtube.comGwatchBvI$w7>4%J@H7w http:GGowl.en&lish.purdue.eduGowlGresourceG788G11G