The Literariness of Theory: A New Perspective on Writing Textbooks of Literary Theory

Abstract

Abstract: Toward the second decade of the 21^st century, literary theory textbooks should absorb the recent developments in literary theory around the world. In contrast to the two existent measures of aniti-theory and the politicization of theory, "the literariness of theory" may be more instructive in the writing of college literary theory textbooks. Literariness has gradually entered the academic field of humanities and liberal arts, and it has helped to form a legitimate discourse for the discipline of literary theory. This discourse is mediated through situations which have the contents such as narrative, fiction, imagination, metaphor, language, dialogue, suspense, anecdotes and biography, and the perspectives point to a positive outlook for transformation.

Key words: the literariness of theory, literary theory, textbook, narrative, situation

Liu Yang. The Literariness of Theory: A New Perspective on Writing Textbooks of Literary Theory[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2014, 34(5): 189-197.

References

阿伯拉姆：《简明外国文学词典》，曾忠禄等译。长沙：湖南人民出版社，1987年。
[Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Trans. Zeng Zhonglu,et al. Changsha: Hunan People’s Publishing House, 1987]
伯纳德：《纪录片也要讲故事》，孙红云译。北京：世界图书出版公司，2011年。
[Bernard, S. C. Documentary Storytelling. Trans. Sun Hongyun. Beijing: Wrold Book Inc, 2011]
德波顿：《拥抱逝水年华》，余斌译。上海：上海译文出版社，2009年。
[Botton, Alain de. How Proust Can Change Your Life. Trans. Yu Bin. Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 2009]
孔帕尼翁：《理论的幽灵：文学与常识》，吴泓缈、汪捷宇译。南京：南京大学出版社，2011年。
[Compagnon, A. The Demon of Theory: Literature and Common Sense. Trans. Wu Hongmiao and Wang Jieyu. Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, 2011]
艾姿碧塔：《艺术的童年》，林徵玲译。合肥：安徽教育出版社，2006年。
[Elzbieta. The Childhood of Art. Trans. Lin Zhengling. Hefei: Anhui Education Press, 2006]
哈里森：《花园：谈人之为人》，苏薇星译。上海：上海三联书店，2011年。
[Harrison, R. P. Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition. Trans. Su Weixing. Shanghai: Shanghai SDX Joint Publishing Company, 2011]
詹姆士：《多元的宇宙》，吴棠译。北京：商务印书馆，1999年。
[James, W. A Pluralistic Universe. Trans. Wu Tang. Beijing: The Commercial Press, 1999]
杰克森：《什么是教育》，吴春雷、马林梅译。合肥：安徽人民出版社，2012年。
[Jackson, P. W. What is Education? Trans. Wu Chunlei and Ma Linmei. Hefei: Anhui People’s Publishing House, 2012]
考斯梅尔：《味觉》，吴琼等译。北京：中国友谊出版公司，2001年。
[Korsmeyer, C. Making Sense of Taste. Trans. Wu Qiong, et al. Beijing: Chinese Friendship Publishing Corporation, 2001]
里纳尔：《小说的政治阅读》，杨令飞、吴延晖译。长沙：湖南文艺出版社，2000年。
[Leenhardt, J. Publical Reading of Novels. Trans. Yang Lingfei and Wu Yanhui. Changsha: Hunan Literature & Art Publishing House, 2000]
李泽厚：《哲学智慧和艺术感觉》。载《华文文学》2013年第3期。
[Li, Zehou. “Philosophical Wisdom and Sense of Art.” Chinese Literature 3(2013): 9-14]
刘再复刘剑梅：《共悟人间》。福州：福建教育出版社，2010年。
[Liu, Zaifu, and Liu Jianmei. Common Understanding of Human. Fuzhou: Fujian Education Press, 2010]
马尔库斯,费彻尔：《作为文化批评的人类学》，王铭铭、蓝达居译。北京：三联书店，1998年。
[Marcus, G. E., and Michael M. J. Fischer. Anthropology as Cultural Critique. Trans. Wang Mingming and Lan Daju. Beijing: Beijing SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1998]
莫言：《作为老百姓写作》。深圳：海天出版社，2007年。
[Mo, Yan. Writing as Common People. Shenzhen: Haitian Pbulishing House, 2007]
奥顿奈尔：《黄昏后的契机》，王萍丽译。北京：北京大学出版社，2004年。
[O’Donnell, K. Postmodernism. Trans. Wang Pingli．Beijing: Peking University Press, 2004]
波伦：《植物的欲望》，王毅译。上海：上海人民出版社，2003年。
[Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire．Trans．Wang Yi．Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House,2003]
钱锺书：《人生边上的边上》。北京：三联书店，2002年。
[Qian, Zhongshu. At the Edge of the Edge of Life. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 2002]
西蒙斯：《说故事的力量》，吕国燕译。北京：化学工业出版社，2009年。
[Simmons, Annette. The Story Factor. Trans. Lv Guoyan. Beijing: Chemical Industry Press, 2009]
索洛维约夫：《西方哲学的危机》，李树柏译。杭州：浙江人民出版社，2000年。
[Solovyev. The Crisis of Western Philosophy. Trans. Li Shubai. Hangzhou: Zhejiang People’ s Publishing House, 2000]
王蒙，王干：《王蒙王干对话录》。桂林：漓江出版社，1992年。
[Wang, Meng, and Wang Gan. Dialogues between Wang Meng and Wang Gan. Guiling: Lijiang Publishing House, 1992]

[1]	Ren Minghua. The Grand Achievement of Ancient and Modern Poetics and the Genre [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2023, 43(2): 45-55.
[2]	Zhao Xuan. Investigating the Narrative Distance of Film from Form to Value [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2023, 43(2): 118-128.
[3]	Bu Xinglei. “Literary Impersonation” and the Rhetoric of Hidden Judgements: A Textual Research of Yang Weizhen’s Supplementary and Simulative Writing in Revisiting Historical Events [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2023, 43(2): 162-171.
[4]	Wang Ning. Raymond Williams' Significance to Current Literary and Cultural Studies [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 20-29.
[5]	Yang Qing, Cao Shunqing. Re-thinking “Eastern Comparative Literature” [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 30-39.
[6]	Chen Dandan. From World Literature to World Literary Theory： An Attempt to Approach Cross-cultural Aesthetics [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 40-48.
[7]	Jiang Shouyi. Dialogue in Narratology and the “Chinese Voice”： Reflection on Narrative Studies in China since 1997 [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 122-132.
[8]	Chen Jiansen, Chen Yingheng. The Context of Communication in the Storytelling Field and the Textual Form of Storytelling Scripts of the Song and the Yuan Dynasties [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 153-164.
[9]	Ni Aizhen. The Physical Property and Image Narrative of Ceramics [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(6): 194-202.
[10]	Zhao Yuping. Denotation and Meta-Narratives: Double-Layered Narrative of Films Based on Real Stories [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(5): 112-121.
[11]	Wang Wanbo. Postemotional Representations and Psychological Symptoms in the Narrative Mechanism of Internet Literature [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(5): 139-149.
[12]	Wang Hongyue. Metamodernism: Thoughts on Literary Theory “after Postmodernism” [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2022, 42(4): 162-171.
[13]	Han Wei. The Interplay between Traditional Literary Theory and Marxist Literary Criticism in the Past Hundred Years [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2021, 41(6): 1-12.
[14]	Yan Qing. On the Core Scope and Self-Consistency of Media Art and Literature [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2021, 41(6): 158-170.
[15]	Duan Jifang. How the Althusserian Critics Inherit and Develop Marx’s Thought of Artistic Production [J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2021, 41(5): 48-57.