Literary Theory- I

The course Literary Theory–I introduces students to major twentieth and twenty-first century literary theories that transformed the study of literature and culture. The course familiarizes students with key theoretical movements such as Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Postcolonialism, Feminism, and Ecocriticism, enabling them to understand how literary texts produce meaning within social, cultural, political, and environmental contexts. Through the study of important theorists and critical concepts, students will examine issues of language, power, identity, gender, colonialism, representation, and the relationship between humans and nature.

The course aims to develop critical and analytical skills by encouraging students to apply theoretical frameworks to literary and cultural texts. It also introduces students to interdisciplinary approaches in literary studies and helps students understand the evolution of modern critical thought. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret texts from multiple theoretical perspectives and engage critically with contemporary debates in literature and culture.

Course Contents

UNIT–I

Structuralism and Post-Structuralism

  • Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in General Linguistics
    (Introduction: Chapter 3 & Part I: Chapters 1 & 2)
  • Jacques Derrida, “Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences”

UNIT–II

Feminist Literary Theory

  • Elaine Showalter, “Towards a Feminist Poetics”
  • Barbara Smith, “Toward a Black Feminist Criticism”

UNIT–III

Postcolonial Literary Theory

  • Edward Said, “Introduction to Orientalism”
  • Homi K. Bhabha, “Of Mimicry and Man” from The Location of Culture

UNIT–IV

Ecocriticism and Ecofeminism

  • William Rueckert, “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism”
  • Karen J. Warren, “The Power and Promise of Ecological Feminism”

Literary Criticism

This course offers a comprehensive study of the development of Literary Criticism from classical antiquity to the twentieth century. It introduces students to major critical texts, concepts, and debates that have shaped literary thought and interpretation across different historical periods. Beginning with the philosophical foundations laid by Plato and Aristotle, the course traces the evolution of critical ideas through the works of Longinus, Sidney, Samuel Johnson, S.T. Coleridge, Mathew Arnold, and T.S. Eliot.

The course examines significant issues such as mimesis, catharsis, sublimity, imagination, poetic truth, tradition, and the social and moral functions of literature. Through close reading and analytical discussion of prescribed texts, students will develop an understanding of how literary criticism provides frameworks for interpreting, evaluating, and appreciating literature. The course also aims to strengthen students’ critical thinking, interpretative abilities, and awareness of the relationship between literature, culture, and society.