Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Agger, Ben. "Critical Theory, Poststructuralism, Postmodernism: Their Sociological Relevance." Annual Review of Sociology 17 (1991): 105-131. JSTOR. Web. 5 June 2012.  <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2083337>.  This is an article that discusses the poststructualism and deconstruction.  It relates them to the study of sociology, but many of the same principles are used in literary theory and interpretation.

Allison, John. " American Theory and Criticism: 1. Nineteenth Century." The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://litguide.press.jhu.edu/>.  This article discusses the contributions to critical theory of the American theorists during the nineteenth century.  It compares their work with that of the British and other European counterparts.

Browne, M. Neil, and Stuart M. Keeley. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Ed. Leah Jewell. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.  M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley give the reader a good look into why we study literature.  They confront a lot of the questions that critical theory and literary interpretation bring up, and how these questions influence our perception of the world around us.

Critical Terms for Literary Study. Ed. Frank Lentricchia and Thomas McLaughlin. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995. Print.  This work discusses the basics of literary criticism in their contemporary roles.  It discusses the history of criticism as a way to study literature and is a guide to help students understand the fundamentals when it comes to criticism and how it relates to cultural studies.

Davis, Gary W. "Structuralist Poetics." Rev. of Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism, Linguistics and the Study of Literature, by Jonathan Culler. Contemporary Literature 18.2 (1977): 241-245  JSTOR. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1208045?seq=2>.  Here Davis analyzes further Culler's work and discusses the place of structuralism in today's fundamentals of contemporary theory and literary interpretation, the roles it plays, and how it changes the way we approach and experience a piece of literature if seen through that lens.

De Man, Paul. "The Resistance to Theory." Yale French Studies 63 (1982): 3-20. JSTOR. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2929828>.  He discusses the draw towards theory and the drawback against theory is its impossibility to define or interpret, and the difficulties associated with this.  He also tells us how historical and philological preparations help us to better interpret our readings.

Felluga, Dino Franco.  “Modules on Jameson:  On Ideology.”  Introductory Guide to Critical Theory.  31 Jan 2011.  4 June 2012.<http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/marxism/modules/jamesonideology.html>.  This is an online article about Fredric Jameson’s views on ideology.  He addresses Jameson’s views and explains how no one is exempt from their own personal ideologies.

Guerin, Wilfred L., et al. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 5th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.  Guerin gives an outline of the different theories and how to critically analyze literature using each of those methods by highlighting half a dozen canonical literary works.

Johnson, Barbara. "The Critical Difference." Rev. of S/Z, by Ronald Barthes and Richard Miller.  Diacritics 8.2 (1978): 2-9. JSTOR. Web. 25 May 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/465127>.  Barbara Johnson’s article is a critical analysis of the contemporary theoretical movement of deconstruction.  Johnson’s work helps us understand this movement and in doing so, gives another insight into the fundamentals of literary interpretation.

Jones, Roger. "Post Structuralism." Philosophy Since the Enlightenment. N.p., 2008. Web. 6 June 2012. <http://philosopher.org.uk/index.htm>.  This site outlines various philosophical movements and theories since the Enlightenment.  There is an article I looked at that illustrates the fundamentals of post structuralism and deconstruction.

Klages, Mary. Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed. New York: Continuum, 2006. Print.  This is a general overview of the fundamentals of literary theory.  She talks about how literature is a commentary of the world around us and that looking into theory helps us see how that process happens.

Leitch, Vincent. "Cultural Critique." Critical Reading. Ed. Barry Laga. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2012.  

<http://myhome.mesastate.edu/~blaga/Theory/Cultural_Criticism.html>.  This site talks about how cultural studies plays into current critical theories and schools of thought.  The site author quotes Vincent Leitch and David Richter.

Said, Edward W.  Orientalism.  New York:  Random House, 1979.  This work discusses the stigma placed on the infatuation with Orientals and how they are misrepresented in the Western culture.  It addresses the stereotypes around the Eastern culture as “Others.”

Schmid, Herman. "On the Origin of Ideology." Acta Sociologica 24.1/2 (1981): 57-73. JSTOR. Web. 6 June 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4194333>.  This is an article from which I took a definition of the term ideology.  It goes on to discuss the roots of systematic ideology.

Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. New York: Garland Publishing, 1999. Print.  This book illustrates the reasons why we study theory and literature.  He spells out some important points in both areas of study including the risks and advantages to studying theory along with literature.