📔Intro to Comparative Literature
3 min read•Last Updated on July 25, 2024
Literary theory shapes how we understand and interpret texts. Various schools of thought offer unique lenses for analysis, from formalism's focus on intrinsic elements to post-structuralism's challenge of fixed meanings.
These approaches provide frameworks for examining literature, influencing academic discourse and canon formation. While each theory offers valuable insights, they also have limitations, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives in literary analysis.
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Agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices. In literary contexts, it often highlights how characters assert their will and influence the narrative, as well as how readers interpret these actions. The concept of agency connects deeply with the roles of authors and readers in shaping meaning and interpretation in literature.
Term 1 of 39
Agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices. In literary contexts, it often highlights how characters assert their will and influence the narrative, as well as how readers interpret these actions. The concept of agency connects deeply with the roles of authors and readers in shaping meaning and interpretation in literature.
Term 1 of 39
Agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices. In literary contexts, it often highlights how characters assert their will and influence the narrative, as well as how readers interpret these actions. The concept of agency connects deeply with the roles of authors and readers in shaping meaning and interpretation in literature.
Term 1 of 39
Formalism is a critical approach to literature that emphasizes the structural elements of a work, such as its language, form, and style, rather than focusing on external factors like historical context or authorial intent. This method encourages readers to analyze how meaning is constructed through the text itself, allowing for a deeper understanding of its aesthetic qualities and mechanisms. By prioritizing the text's inherent features, formalism creates a framework for examining literary works with precision and clarity.
New Criticism: A school of thought closely related to formalism that stresses close reading and analysis of the text itself, often disregarding the author's biography and historical context.
Close Reading: A careful, detailed interpretation of a text that focuses on its language, structure, and meaning, typical of formalist analysis.
Aestheticism: A movement that values beauty and artistic experience over moral or political themes, aligning with formalist principles by emphasizing form and style.
Post-structuralism is an intellectual movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, emphasizing the instability of meaning and the complexity of language and texts. It challenges the idea that texts have fixed meanings, proposing instead that interpretation is subjective and influenced by context, culture, and reader response. This perspective has significant implications for literary criticism and theory in higher education, reshaping how texts are analyzed and understood.
Deconstruction: A critical approach developed by Jacques Derrida that seeks to uncover the assumptions and contradictions within texts, revealing multiple interpretations and meanings.
Intertextuality: The relationship between texts, suggesting that no text exists in isolation but is influenced by and connected to other texts, impacting its meaning.
Reader-response Theory: A literary theory that emphasizes the role of the reader in interpreting a text, asserting that meaning is created through the interaction between the reader and the text.
New Criticism is a formalist literary theory that emphasizes the close reading of texts, focusing on the text itself rather than external factors such as author intent or historical context. This approach encourages readers to analyze the structure, language, and meaning of a work independently, creating a detailed understanding of its inherent qualities.
Close Reading: A careful and detailed analysis of a text to uncover deeper meanings, themes, and stylistic features.
Intentional Fallacy: The erroneous belief that a reader can determine a work's meaning by analyzing the author's intentions rather than focusing on the text itself.
Affective Fallacy: The mistake of judging a text's value based on the emotional responses it elicits from readers rather than its intrinsic qualities.
The intentional fallacy refers to the mistaken belief that a reader can interpret a text based on the author's intentions or purpose. This concept suggests that an author's intentions should not dictate the meaning of a literary work, as the text itself is an independent entity that can be analyzed without the need for authorial context. It emphasizes that understanding a text relies more on its language, structure, and context rather than what the author might have meant.
reader-response theory: A literary theory that focuses on the reader's interpretation and experience of a text rather than the author's intent or historical context.
biographical criticism: A literary approach that interprets a work by considering the author's life experiences, personal history, and background as influencing factors in their writing.
formalism: A critical approach that emphasizes the analysis of a text's formal elements, such as structure, style, and language, rather than its content or the author's intent.
Structuralism is an intellectual movement that emerged in the early 20th century, focusing on understanding the underlying structures that shape human culture, language, and literature. It emphasizes the relationships and systems that govern the meanings of texts rather than the individual components or historical contexts. This approach influences various disciplines, including literary theory and criticism, as well as modernist literature, by encouraging a systematic examination of how narratives and meanings are constructed.
Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols, their use and interpretation, which is central to understanding meaning in language and literature.
Post-structuralism: A reaction against structuralism that argues meanings are not fixed but rather fluid and dependent on context, emphasizing the instability of language.
Narrative Structure: The way in which a story is organized, including its plot, characters, and themes, which structuralism analyzes to reveal deeper meanings.
Binary oppositions are pairs of contrasting concepts or terms that are often used to create meaning and understanding in texts and cultural discourse. These oppositions highlight the relationships between ideas, such as good versus evil, light versus dark, or male versus female, often reflecting deeper ideological structures within a narrative or a piece of writing.
dialectics: A method of argument involving contradiction and its reconciliation, often seen in philosophical discussions that help in understanding binary oppositions.
structuralism: A theoretical approach that emphasizes the underlying structures in cultural phenomena, including how binary oppositions shape meaning.
post-structuralism: A reaction against structuralism that critiques the stability of meaning in binary oppositions and suggests meanings are fluid and context-dependent.
Narrative functions refer to the roles that different elements of a story play in advancing the plot, developing characters, and conveying themes. These functions help to shape the reader's understanding and emotional engagement with the narrative, making them essential for analyzing how stories are constructed and interpreted within literary criticism.
Plot Structure: The framework that outlines the sequence of events in a narrative, typically including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Characterization: The process by which an author conveys information about characters, revealing their traits, motivations, and relationships to advance the story.
Theme: The underlying message or central idea of a narrative that reflects broader societal issues, moral lessons, or human experiences.
Deconstruction is a critical approach that seeks to understand the underlying assumptions and contradictions within texts, emphasizing that meaning is not fixed but rather fluid and context-dependent. This concept challenges traditional interpretations by showing how language can create ambiguity and instability in meaning, making it a significant method in literary theory and criticism.
Textuality: The concept that all texts are constructed and can be analyzed for their inherent meanings, structures, and implications.
Binary Oppositions: Pairs of contrasting terms or ideas, such as good/evil or male/female, that deconstruction critiques to reveal the complexity and fluidity of meaning.
Intertextuality: The relationship between texts, where they reference or echo each other, contributing to the meaning and understanding of a work.
Différance is a philosophical and linguistic concept introduced by Jacques Derrida, which denotes the idea that meaning is constantly deferred and never fully present. It emphasizes that words and signs derive their meaning not from an inherent definition, but rather from their differences from other words and the endless play of context in which they exist.
Signifier: A signifier is the physical form of a word or image that represents an idea or concept, emphasizing the role of language in shaping meaning.
Deconstruction: Deconstruction is a critical approach that seeks to understand and unravel the complexities of language and meaning, often revealing contradictions and assumptions in texts.
Semiotics: Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, focusing on how meaning is constructed and communicated through various systems of signs.
Psychoanalytic criticism is a literary theory that applies the principles of psychoanalysis to literature, focusing on the unconscious motivations, desires, and conflicts of characters, as well as the author's psyche. This approach often examines how themes of repression, identity, and trauma manifest in a text, revealing deeper psychological meanings. It connects literature with psychology, exploring the relationship between the mind and artistic expression.
Freudian Theory: A psychological framework developed by Sigmund Freud that emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind, repressed desires, and early childhood experiences on human behavior.
Archetype: A universally recognized symbol or motif in literature that reflects common human experiences and emotions, often used in psychoanalytic criticism to analyze characters and narratives.
Oedipus Complex: A concept in Freudian psychoanalysis that describes a child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward their same-sex parent, often explored in literary contexts.
The Oedipus Complex is a psychoanalytic concept developed by Sigmund Freud, referring to a child's unconscious desire for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. This idea plays a crucial role in understanding familial relationships and psychological development, shedding light on various literary themes such as conflict, identity, and power dynamics between characters.
Electra Complex: A counterpart to the Oedipus Complex, the Electra Complex describes a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's attention.
Psychoanalysis: A therapeutic approach that aims to explore the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior, often involving techniques like free association and dream interpretation.
Freudian Slip: An unintentional error in speech or writing that reveals a person's unconscious thoughts or feelings.
Dream analysis is a therapeutic technique used to interpret and understand the meanings behind dreams, often revealing unconscious thoughts and desires. This practice connects deeply with literary theory and criticism, as it allows for an exploration of how literature reflects the complexities of the human psyche, especially in the context of character development and thematic exploration.
Freudian Theory: A psychological framework developed by Sigmund Freud that emphasizes the role of unconscious motives and conflicts in shaping human behavior and experiences.
Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, often utilized in literature to convey deeper meanings and themes that resonate with the subconscious.
Archetypes: Universal symbols or themes that recur across cultures and time periods, often found in literature and dreams, reflecting shared human experiences and emotions.
Marxist criticism is a literary theory that examines literature through the lens of class struggle, economic power dynamics, and social inequalities, based on the ideas of Karl Marx. It focuses on how literature reflects, reinforces, or challenges societal norms and ideologies related to class and capitalism. This approach encourages readers to consider the ways in which economic conditions influence artistic expression and how literature can serve as a form of resistance against oppression.
Class Struggle: The ongoing conflict between different classes in society, primarily between the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat), which is a central theme in Marxist theory.
Cultural Materialism: A theoretical approach that emphasizes the material conditions of society, including economic factors, in shaping culture and ideology, often linked with Marxist criticism.
Ideology: A set of beliefs or philosophies that shape an individual's or a group's worldview, often tied to power structures and social inequalities within society.
Base and superstructure is a concept in Marxist theory that describes the relationship between the economic foundation of society (base) and the cultural, political, and ideological aspects (superstructure) that arise from it. The base includes the means of production and relations of production, while the superstructure encompasses everything from laws, politics, and religion to art and literature, reflecting and reinforcing the values and conditions of the base.
Dialectical Materialism: A philosophical approach that emphasizes the material conditions of life as the foundation for understanding societal changes and developments.
Ideology: A system of ideas and ideals that form the basis of economic or political theory, often serving to justify or explain the existing social order.
Cultural Hegemony: The dominance of one social class's values and norms over others, shaping societal beliefs and practices through institutions like media and education.
False consciousness refers to a social condition where individuals are misled about their actual interests and societal realities, often due to dominant ideologies that distort their understanding. This concept suggests that people can be unaware of the true nature of their social and economic situation, leading them to adopt beliefs or behaviors that may not serve their best interests. It highlights the role of cultural narratives in shaping perception and understanding within society.
Ideology: A system of ideas and ideals that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy, often shaping how individuals perceive the world.
Hegemony: The dominance of one group over others, often maintained through cultural means rather than force, influencing the way people think and act.
Class Consciousness: An awareness of one's social class and its interests, which contrasts with false consciousness, where individuals may not recognize their own class position.
Feminist criticism is a literary approach that examines texts through the lens of gender, focusing on the ways in which literature reinforces or challenges the oppression of women. It explores how female characters are portrayed, the role of female authors, and the cultural context that shapes gender representations in literature. This perspective also emphasizes the need for women's voices and experiences to be recognized and validated within literary discourse.
Patriarchy: A social system in which men hold primary power, dominating in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.
Gender Studies: An interdisciplinary field that examines how gender influences social structures, identities, and cultural practices.
Intersectionality: A concept that explores how various forms of social stratification, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, intersect and impact individuals' experiences and opportunities.
Écriture féminine refers to a style of writing that emphasizes the female experience and perspective, often challenging traditional notions of gender and language. This concept is important in understanding how women’s voices have historically been marginalized in literature and how écriture féminine seeks to reclaim that space through unique narrative forms and techniques, reflecting the complexities of female identity and subjectivity.
Feminist Literary Criticism: A critical approach that examines literature through the lens of feminist theory, focusing on the representation of women and the social context surrounding gender roles.
Gendered Language: Language that reflects specific gender assumptions or biases, often reinforcing stereotypes or social norms associated with masculinity and femininity.
Narrative Voice: The distinct style or perspective from which a story is told, which can reflect the identity and experiences of the narrator, influencing how readers perceive characters and events.
The male gaze is a concept that describes the way visual arts and literature depict the world and women from a masculine, heterosexual perspective. This perspective objectifies women, presenting them as passive subjects to be viewed, rather than as active agents. The idea highlights power dynamics in gender relations and critiques how society often normalizes male viewpoints while marginalizing female experiences.
Objectification: The treatment of a person as an object or commodity, often stripping away their individuality and humanity, particularly in the context of women in media.
Feminist Criticism: A critical approach that examines literature and media through the lens of feminist theory, focusing on representations of gender, power dynamics, and the societal roles assigned to women.
Intersectionality: A framework that examines how various social identities such as race, gender, and class intersect and contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege.
Postcolonial criticism is a literary approach that examines the effects and consequences of colonialism on cultures and societies, as well as how literature reflects and responds to these historical processes. It focuses on the relationships between colonizers and the colonized, exploring themes of identity, power dynamics, and cultural representation. This lens helps to uncover voices that have been marginalized or silenced by colonial narratives, offering insights into issues of race, ethnicity, and social justice.
Colonialism: A practice where a country establishes control over a foreign territory, often exploiting its resources and suppressing local cultures.
Hybridity: A concept referring to the blending of cultures and identities that arises from colonial encounters, leading to new cultural forms and expressions.
Decolonization: The process of a colony gaining independence from colonial powers, often involving political, social, and cultural transformations.
Orientalism refers to the representation and interpretation of Eastern societies, particularly in literature and art, by Western scholars and artists. It often depicts these cultures through a lens of stereotypes, exoticism, and colonial attitudes, shaping perceptions that can influence political and cultural relations. This term highlights the imbalance in power dynamics where the East is often portrayed as mysterious and inferior compared to the rational West, revealing deeper issues of cultural domination and identity.
Exoticism: A literary and artistic movement that emphasizes the allure and fascination of foreign cultures, often portraying them as mysterious and seductive.
Colonialism: The practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, exploiting it economically, and settling it with colonizers from the controlling nation.
Cultural Imperialism: The imposition of a foreign culture onto another culture, often resulting in the suppression or devaluation of local customs and traditions.
Subaltern studies is an academic approach that focuses on the experiences and perspectives of marginalized groups, particularly in postcolonial contexts. It seeks to challenge dominant narratives by giving voice to those who have been historically oppressed and overlooked in mainstream history and discourse. This perspective is vital in understanding power dynamics and social hierarchies, especially in the realms of literature and cultural criticism.
Postcolonialism: A critical framework that examines the cultural, political, and economic impacts of colonialism and its aftermath, emphasizing the voices of colonized peoples.
Hegemony: A concept introduced by Antonio Gramsci that describes the dominance of one group over others, not only through force but also through cultural and ideological means.
Marginalization: The social process of becoming or being made marginal or peripheral, often affecting certain groups based on race, class, gender, or other identity markers.
Reader-response criticism is a literary theory that emphasizes the role of the reader in creating the meaning of a text. This approach argues that a reader's personal experiences, emotions, and context significantly shape their interpretation and understanding of literature. It highlights the dynamic relationship between the text and the reader, asserting that meaning is not fixed but varies depending on individual perspectives.
Interpretation: The process by which a reader derives meaning from a text, influenced by their background, emotions, and thoughts.
Textuality: The quality or nature of a text that allows it to be interpreted and reinterpreted in various ways by different readers.
Subjectivity: The idea that individual perspectives and personal experiences shape one’s understanding and interpretation of literature.
Interpretive communities refer to groups of individuals who share common interpretive strategies and frameworks, allowing them to make sense of texts and experiences in similar ways. These communities shape how members read and understand literature, as they draw on shared cultural backgrounds, knowledge, and beliefs, leading to varied interpretations of the same work depending on the community’s perspectives.
Reader-Response Theory: A literary theory that emphasizes the reader's role in creating meaning from a text, suggesting that interpretation is influenced by individual experiences and community backgrounds.
Cultural Context: The environment or setting in which a text is produced and consumed, including social, political, and historical factors that influence interpretation.
Intertextuality: The relationship between texts and how they reference or echo one another, affecting the way readers interpret meaning based on their prior knowledge and experiences.
Horizons of expectation refer to the set of assumptions, cultural norms, and contextual understandings that shape how readers interpret texts. This concept highlights that each reader comes with their own background, experiences, and knowledge that influence their expectations when engaging with literature, which can lead to varying interpretations and responses to a work.
reader-response theory: A literary theory that emphasizes the reader's role in creating the meaning of a text through their personal experiences and interpretations.
cultural context: The social, historical, and cultural background that influences both the creation of a literary work and its interpretation by readers.
textual analysis: The method of examining and interpreting a text to understand its meaning, structure, and cultural significance, often considering the reader's perspective.
Ecocriticism is a literary theory that examines the relationship between literature and the environment, focusing on how nature is represented in texts and how these representations impact ecological awareness. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world, advocating for a deeper understanding of environmental issues through literature. By analyzing texts through an ecological lens, ecocriticism also engages with interdisciplinary studies such as environmental science, philosophy, and cultural studies.
Environmental Literature: Literature that addresses environmental issues, highlighting human interactions with nature and often advocating for ecological awareness and activism.
Anthropocentrism: The belief that human beings are the central focus of moral consideration, often leading to the neglect of non-human entities and ecosystems in ethical discussions.
Sustainability: The capacity to endure in a relatively ongoing way across various domains of life, emphasizing practices that do not deplete resources or harm ecological systems.
Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the central or most significant entities in the world, placing humans above all other forms of life. This worldview has significant implications for how literature is interpreted, critiqued, and created, often leading to a focus on human experiences, emotions, and morality while neglecting non-human perspectives. Understanding this concept helps to analyze the relationships between humans and nature within literary works.
Ecocentrism: A philosophical standpoint that places intrinsic value on all living beings and their environments, arguing that nature should be considered equally important to humans.
Biocentrism: The belief that all living organisms have inherent value and rights, emphasizing the importance of all forms of life rather than prioritizing humans.
Posthumanism: A movement that critiques anthropocentrism by exploring the implications of technology and the relationships between humans and non-human entities, advocating for a more inclusive understanding of existence.
Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that emphasizes the intrinsic value of all living beings and the interconnectedness of nature, arguing for a profound shift in human consciousness and values regarding the environment. It advocates for the preservation of ecosystems and natural processes, promoting the idea that all forms of life have a right to exist, irrespective of their utility to human beings. This philosophy challenges anthropocentrism, proposing instead a biocentric or ecocentric worldview that sees humans as part of a larger ecological community.
anthropocentrism: A belief system that places humans at the center of moral consideration, often leading to the exploitation of natural resources without regard for ecological balance.
ecosystem: A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment, encompassing both biotic and abiotic components.
biocentrism: An ethical perspective that extends inherent value to all living beings, suggesting that they should be considered in moral decision-making alongside humans.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things, suggesting that one thing is another to highlight similarities and create deeper meaning. It’s a powerful tool in language and literature that allows writers to convey complex ideas and emotions in a vivid way. Through metaphors, abstract concepts can be made tangible, enhancing the reader's understanding and emotional response.
simile: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as' to highlight similarities.
allegory: A narrative technique in which characters or events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities, often conveying deeper meanings beyond the literal interpretation.
personification: A literary device that gives human traits and characteristics to non-human entities, making them relatable and vivid.
Irony is a literary device where the intended meaning of words or events is different from their literal meaning or expectation. It often highlights contrasts between appearances and reality, offering deeper insights into characters, themes, or situations. This device can evoke humor, emphasize themes, or reveal character flaws, playing a significant role in storytelling.
sarcasm: A form of verbal irony where someone says the opposite of what they really mean, often used for humorous or mocking effect.
situational irony: A type of irony that occurs when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens in a situation.
dramatic irony: A situation in a play or story where the audience knows something that the characters do not, creating tension and engagement.
Symbolism is a literary device that uses symbols—objects, characters, figures, or colors—to represent abstract ideas or concepts. It adds deeper meaning to a narrative and allows writers to convey complex themes and emotions through simple imagery.
Allegory: A narrative in which characters and events symbolize broader themes and concepts, often conveying moral, political, or social meanings.
Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another for rhetorical effect, suggesting that they are alike in some way.
Motif: A recurring element, theme, or idea in a literary work that has symbolic significance and contributes to the development of the narrative.
Repression is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously pushes distressing thoughts, memories, or feelings out of their conscious awareness. This process can significantly influence behavior and thought patterns, often affecting how literature and characters are analyzed in a broader academic context, particularly in understanding human motivations and the complexities of narrative structure.
Psychological Defense Mechanism: Coping strategies that individuals use to protect themselves from emotional pain or anxiety by altering their perceptions or feelings.
Unconscious Mind: The part of the mind that is not currently in focal awareness, containing thoughts, memories, and desires that influence behavior despite being hidden.
Freudian Theory: A theory proposed by Sigmund Freud that emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and childhood experiences in shaping personality and behavior.
Projection refers to the process of attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person or group. This psychological phenomenon is often examined in literary theory and criticism as a way to understand character motivations and narrative perspectives, highlighting how personal biases can shape interpretation.
Psychoanalysis: A therapeutic approach that seeks to explore the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior, often involving the examination of projections.
Narrative Perspective: The viewpoint from which a story is told, which can be influenced by the projections of both characters and narrators.
Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which can sometimes be complicated by projection, as individuals may project their emotions onto others instead of recognizing their unique experiences.
Stereotypes are oversimplified and generalized beliefs or ideas about a particular group of people, often based on characteristics like race, gender, age, or social status. These mental shortcuts can influence perceptions and behavior, leading to assumptions that do not accurately reflect individual traits or realities. In literary theory and criticism, stereotypes are significant because they can shape narratives and character development, and challenge readers to question societal norms and biases.
Prejudice: A preconceived opinion or judgment about an individual or group, often without sufficient knowledge or understanding.
Discrimination: The unfair treatment of individuals based on their belonging to a particular group, often resulting from stereotypes and prejudice.
Cultural Representation: The depiction of various cultural groups in literature and media, which can reinforce or challenge stereotypes.
Agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices. In literary contexts, it often highlights how characters assert their will and influence the narrative, as well as how readers interpret these actions. The concept of agency connects deeply with the roles of authors and readers in shaping meaning and interpretation in literature.
Autonomy: The ability of a character or individual to make independent choices and govern themselves without external control.
Narrative Voice: The perspective from which a story is told, which can affect how characters' agency is perceived by readers.
Character Development: The process by which characters grow or change throughout a story, often reflecting their agency as they confront challenges.
Commodification is the process of turning goods, services, ideas, or even people into items that can be bought and sold in a market. This term highlights how various elements of culture and society are transformed into products, often stripping away their original context or meaning. In the world of literary theory and criticism, commodification raises questions about how literature is valued, consumed, and the implications this has for cultural and social dynamics.
Cultural Capital: The non-financial social assets that promote social mobility, such as education, intellect, style of speech, and even appearance.
Consumerism: A social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.
Postmodernism: A broad movement in literature and art characterized by a questioning of traditional narratives and an embrace of irony and self-reference.
Alienation refers to the feeling of being disconnected or estranged from oneself, others, or society. This sense of separation can lead to feelings of isolation, helplessness, and lack of belonging. In literature, alienation often serves as a critical theme that reflects characters' struggles with identity, societal norms, and the human condition.
Isolation: A state of being separated from others, which can contribute to feelings of loneliness and emotional distress.
Existentialism: A philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice, often exploring themes of meaninglessness and alienation.
Disconnection: The lack of a meaningful connection to others or to one’s environment, often leading to emotional distress and a sense of loss.
Othering is the process of perceiving or portraying a person or group as fundamentally different or alien compared to oneself or the dominant group. This concept plays a crucial role in understanding social dynamics, power relationships, and identity formation, especially in literature and criticism, where it can reveal how marginalized voices are constructed and represented.
Marginalization: The social process of pushing certain groups to the edges of society, often leading to a lack of access to resources, rights, and representation.
Identity: The qualities, beliefs, and characteristics that make up an individual's or group's self-conception and social recognition.
Discourse: A way of speaking or writing about a particular topic that shapes how it is understood and influences social power dynamics.
Mimicry is the phenomenon where an organism or entity closely resembles another to gain some advantage, such as protection or acceptance. In literary contexts, mimicry can relate to how texts imitate styles, themes, or genres, often reflecting cultural and societal influences. This concept plays a crucial role in understanding how literature interacts with and critiques existing narratives and ideologies.
Imitation: The action of using someone or something as a model in art or literature, often to convey a certain style or message.
Parody: A humorous or satirical imitation of a particular genre, style, or work, intended to comment on or criticize the original.
Intertextuality: The relationship between texts and how they reference or influence each other, often showcasing mimicry through borrowing and adaptation.
Biocentrism is a philosophical viewpoint that argues life and living beings are the central and most important aspects of the universe. This perspective emphasizes the intrinsic value of all forms of life, asserting that humans are not superior to other organisms, and that the well-being of all living things should be considered in ethical decision-making.
Anthropocentrism: A viewpoint that places human beings at the center of moral consideration, often leading to the belief that nature exists primarily for human benefit.
Ecocentrism: A perspective that prioritizes ecological systems and the health of the entire ecosystem over individual organisms, advocating for a holistic approach to environmental ethics.
Deep Ecology: An environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their utility to humans, advocating for deep societal changes to protect the natural world.