Jens Kirk Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Session One: Theory Before Theory

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Agenda  The course website  Literary Theory and Your BA  Literary Theory and Methodology

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture The Course Website  visningsmappe/teori07-08/programme.htm visningsmappe/teori07-08/programme.htm visningsmappe/teori07-08/programme.htm  The programme and Jakobson’s communication model

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Six Factors of Verbal Communication  Roman Jakobson, ”Linguistics and Poetics” context Addressermessageaddressee contact code

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Six Functions of Verbal Communication  Roman Jakobson, ”Linguistics and Poetics” Referential Emotivepoeticconative phatic metalingual

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Your BA  1st and 2nd semesters: Textanalysis and – history  3rd and 4th semesters: Literary theory and Methodology  4th semester: Literature and Media Studies project (emnestudie 5)  5th semester: BA-project  Links to course websites remain active

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology  What is theory?  What is literature?  What is methodology?

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture Questions for Students (five min.)  What is literature? What is not literature? What are the distinctive features of literature (if any)  Why study (read) literature? Why not? Why is literature (not) important? Whatt’s the point of literature?  How do we read literature? Is there a specific way of reading literature as opposed to non-literary texts?  When do we (not) read literature?

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture What is Theory?  Theory concerns assumptions, unspoken ideas, and silent understandings that govern our practice: meaning and value  Example: The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree  "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' " (Luke 13:6-9)

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture What is Literature?  Narrow sense: The best examples of prose fiction, poetry, and drama. Genre and value specificity (the canon)  Broad sense: examples of fictional and non- fictional writing. Media specificity.  Broadest sense: any kind of text in any genre or medium (images, video, film music, computer games, etc.)

Jens KirkDept. of Languages and Culture What is Methodology?  A set of explicit guidelines or procedures for reading and interpreting texts  Approaches to texts  Manners of reading  Theory specificity