A HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE EDMUND WILSON

Historical criticism and Social change

In the excerpts below, Edmund Wilson presents his thoughts on what it means to
understand literature in its historical aspects, that is its social, economic and
political aspects.
Edmund Wilson, The Historical Interpretation of Literature, 1940, later
published in Triple Thinkers.
He notes that this tradition of criticism began during the Enlightenment and
developed during the subsequent centuries.
He begins by describing other prominent traditions of criticism then focuses on
the historical one, which is a key critical tradition, especially its more progressive
and revolutionary elements overviewed and explored by this site.
At the end of the article and the excerpts here, he touches on how literature,
along with all intellectual activity may help bring about a better world, in its
attempt to give a meaning to our experience that is, to make life more
practicable; for by understanding things we make it easy to survive and get around
among them.
This weblog is basically geared towards this end, and is otherwise related to
understanding things in order to make it easier to survive and get around among
them especially to change conditions of life for the better, especially for the many
currently in great need.
It might be noted too that at this perilous point in human history, the survival of
the human species is ever more seriously threatened, as some authors have
remarked for decades now.
In capacities professional and otherwise, those in the field of literature, given its
largely though not entirely social, economic, and political nature, have great
opportunity to do much toward addressing these urgent issues.
Edmund Wilson occupies an important place in the history of American literature
in the 20nth century.
In his lasting literary life of half a century, Wilsons literary achievements, which
deals with many fields such as literary criticism, social comment, novel, poetry,
drama, history, speech and so on, are very productive.
The speech The Historical Interpretation of Literature, which delivered in
Princeton University in 1940 by Wilson, intensively embodies his literary outlook.

 Based on the basic concept of the speech, dealing with the specific texts, this
thesis tries to make a thorough exposition of Wilsons criticism of The Historical
Interpretation of Literature.
Wilsons criticism of The Historical Interpretation of Literature, which intended
for the literary authors and most of literary amateurs in society, based on Marxism,
Freudian psychoanalysis, the traditional criticism of society and history and the
criterion of emotional reaction, uses kinds of critical methods, attaches great
importance to the literature character in criticism and relations between literature
and society, embodies Wilsons humanism spirit of seeking truth through literature,
paying attention to real society nature of humankind and standing fast to
independence and freedom.
In the first chapter, however reveals that The Historical Interpretation of
Literature is based on Marxism, Freudian psychoanalysis, the traditional criticism of
society and history and the criterion of emotional reaction.
The second chapter discusses the history of mans ideas and imaginings.

The third chapter points out the significance of The Historical Interpretation of
Literature lies in Wilsons humanism spirit.

Edmund Wilson occupies an important place in the history of American

literature in the 20th century. In his lasting literary life of half a century ,
Wilsons literary achievements , which deals with many fields such as literary
criticismsocial commentnovelpoetrydramahistoryspeechand so
on, are very productive.In the West the research achivements about Wilson
are plentiful, but in China there are few articals on research of Wilsons
criticism.Wilsons literary criticism also deals with many things. The speech
The Historical Interpretation of Literature , which delivered in Princeton
University in 1940 by Wilson, intensively embodies his literary outlook. Based
on the basic concept of the speech, dealing with the specific texts, this thesis
tries to make a thorough exposition of Wilsons criticism ofThe Historical
Interpretation of Literature.Wilsons criticism ofThe Historical Interpretation of
Literature, which intended for the literary authors and most of literary
amateurs in society, based on MarxismFreudian psychoanalysisthe
traditional criticism of society and history and the criterion ofemotional
reaction, uses kinds of critical methods, attaches great importance to

the literature character in criticism and relations between literature and

society, embodies Wilsons humanism spirit of seeking truth through literature,
paying attention to real society nature of humankind and standing fast
to independence and freedom. A careful discussion of some of Wilsons texts
in the first chapter, however, reveals thatThe Historical Interpretation of
Literatureis based on MarxismFreudian psychoanalysisthe traditional
criticism of society and history and the criterion ofemotional reaction. The
second chapter discusses that the nature ofThe Historical Interpretation of
Literatureisa history of mans ideas and imaginings. The third chapter points
out the significance ofThe Historical Interpretation of Literaturelies in
Wilsons humanism spirit.