English Literature （上） 2012.8,Unit One,Part I Introduction,What is Literature?,Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, “literature“ is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.,a long journey of quest,The quest to discover a definition for “literature” is a road that is much travelled, though the point of arrival, if ever reached, is seldom satisfactory. Generally, most people have their own ideas of what literature is.,the true, the good & the beautiful,The common definition of literature, particularly for university courses, is that it covers the major genres of poetry, drama, and novel/fiction. The term also implies literary quality and distinction, concerned with finding beauty, an elevated use of language, emotional effects and moral sentiments.,Definitions of literature change,They describe and clarify a reality, they do not create the reality they describe. Classical works Mass-market romance novels Online literature,Does it really matter what “literature” is? Does everyone have to agree? What purposes does literature serve? What distinguishes literature from non-literary works?,What makes us treat something as literature? How do we know when something is literature? Would it be easier to ask “what isnt literature”?,Literature is as literature does.,In exploring ideas about what literature is, it is useful to look at some of the things that literature does. Literature is something that reflects society, makes us think about ourselves and our society, allows us to enjoy language and beauty, it can be didactic, and it reflects on “the human condition”.,It both reflects ideology and changes ideology, just like it follows generic conventions as well as changing them. It has social and political effects. Literature is the creation of another world, a world that we can only see through reading literature.,Reasons for the study of English Literature,English literature can introduce students to a range of aspects, not only of the English language but also of English culture. The study of Literature can provide students with a fresh and creative angle with which to approach their studies in particular and their lives in general.,What Is a Text?,Often, “text” is automatically equated with “literature” or “literary work”, and the two terms can seem interchangeable.,A Definition form Dictionaries,the main body of matter in a manuscript, book, newspaper, etc., as distinguished from notes, appendixes, headings, illustrations, etc.,Question,Is text a neutral term?,a distinction between “work” and “text”,Roland Barthes(罗兰巴特): “the work can be held in the hand, the text is held in language, it only exists in the movement of a language”. Text - the linguistic structure Work - the whole product,when we refer to something as a “text”, we mean its linguistic structure or the signs that convey meaning and allow interpretation.,How To Read A Text,not just to read it, but to read it well to read it twice the first time - to satisfy curiosity the second reading - more critical,Critical reading,Critical reading, which is reading the text closely and thinking about it as you go, is self-conscious, reflective and analytical.,Debate on the “death of the author”,Whether a text should be read on its own or whether the authors perspective should form part of the analysis?,The Importance of Source,There are as many interpretations as there are readers. You must make sure that your reading is supported by what is in the text itself, not what you think is in the text.,A love affair?,“The relation between reader and story read is like a love affair. In both cases, it is a matter of giving yourself without reservation to the other.” - J. Hillis Miller,Distance yourself,However, once you have wholly yielded to the text, you need to distance yourself again and cast your critical eye over it in order to be insightful and analytical. And always have the other eye on your own response to the text, because more often than not, your response is the key to how the text works.,The Relationship between Reader, Text, and Writer,The text, the writers and the readers equally affect each other; The meaning of each text is derived not only from the writers background and circumstances, but also from the readers language skills as well as the perspective in which the reader receives it.,A pleasant cooperation,Readers and writers are able to compare and contrast texts with their world experiences, facilitating critical thinking with reference to complex ideas.,Basic Critical Approaches to Literature,Text-Oriented Approaches: New Criticism Author-Oriented Approaches: Psychoanalytic Reader-Oriented Approaches: Reader Response Context-Oriented Approaches: Feminist /Marxist / New Historicist,The Scope of English Literat