Introduction

Abstract

The Direction of Literary Theory emerges in the context of what is commonly called a crisis for English Studies. This apprehension is somewhat misleading in that the subject remains as popular as ever with stud.ents in schools, colleges and higher education. Although the so-called crisis primarily relates to a critical debate amongst academics, the issue can be seen to have much wider consequences as ideas are promoted and placed under practical scrutiny in the spheres of education and public comment. It has been the case that it has had a mixed reception in education, and, more often than not, been misrepresented and ridiculed (not without some justification) in the public domain. The debate focuses upon issues such as the nature of English and what can be said to constitute Literature, gender, race, ethics, value, politics, aesthetics, psychology … the list is as long as it can be exciting. It might be said that this is also a sign of healthy interest rather than the imminent collapse of literary studies. This book is concerned with what is at the heart of the crisis -literary theory. Dealing with theory, it will also in the latter chapters attempt to relate the work back to what continues to keep the subject as buoyant as it is - student interest.