HISTORICISMHISTORICISMaka “New Historicism,”

“Historical Criticism,”“Cultural Studies,”

“Cultural Materialism”

Literature is made of culture

When: 1980s—now

Where: France, England, America

Who: Michel Foucault, Walter Benjamin, Mikhail Bakhtin, Clifford Geertz, Hayden White, Stephen Greenblatt, Catherine Gallagher, Pierre Bourdie, Brook Thomas, Jerome McGann

literary works are historical artifacts

every work is a product of the historic moment that created it

there is no line dividing historical and literary materials

MAIN IDEAS

literary works are conversations between the “official” voices of society and “popular” critical voices

“high” and “low” culture is an artificial distinction; the two inform one another

we have been conditioned to believe a certain history

the truth about what really happened can never be purely or objectively known

ONE MAIN

QUESTION:What can we learn

about this text from its historical context

& the history of its interpretation(s)?

consider the author's biography and nationality

investigate the text's social, cultural, and intellectual context

identify the work with the cultural and political movements of its time

recreate the meaning the text had for its original audience

see what words, characters, and events in the piece compare to its context

historicist reading:

analyze whether the work supports or condemns the events it depicts

determine whether the portrayal criticizes or praises the people it represents

look up words in the text that have changed meaning since it was written

study literary and non-literary texts together

examine “canonical” works, pop culture, and non-literary cultural products

study how the text interacts with others from its time period

explore the ways the text's meaning has changed over time

discover how historical events have been reinterpreted over time

focus on state, patriarchal, or colonial power

see how the work considers traditionally marginalized populations

make use of poststructuralism, Marxism, and feminism

[Potentially] Positive Aspects

of Historicism It reconnects literature and history

It takes the author's life into account

It gives room for readers' interpretations

It is relevant to its own time and the time in which it is being read

It has political and social applications

[Potentially] Negative Aspects

of Historicism It requires rigorous research to be

done well Any lack of facts destroys the approach

It is often poorly done It might displace a focus on the text itself

It involves various relativisms

SourcesBarry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to

Literary and Cultural Theory. 2nd edition. NY: Manchester UP, 2002. Print.

Brizee, Allen, and J. Case Tompkins. “Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism.” ©1995-2011 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. Web. 13 Sept. 2011.

“Definition of the New Historicism.” VirtuaLit Interactive Poetry Tutorial. Adapted from The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by Ross Murfin and Supryia M. Ray. Copyright 1998 by Bedford Books.

Gioia, Dana and X. J. Kennedy. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 6th ed. Boston: Longman, 2010. Print.

Leitch, Vincent B., gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. NY: Norton, 2001.

Morner, Kathleen and Ralph Rausch. NTC's Dictionary of Literary Terms. Chicago: NTC, 1991. Print.