Conceptions of literary authorship in modern literary theories: history, issues, approaches

Author:

Lang Mengchen1

Affiliation:

1. English Department, School of Foreign Languages , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan Rd. , , Shanghai , China

Abstract

Abstract The last three decades have seen a flourishing of theoretical discussions about the concept of literary authorship. This article is an attempt to scrutinise and engage with this thriving scene. Through a systematic review of conceptions of authorship in modern literary theories, I will outline historical shifts, disentangle current debates, and identify a range of approaches, with the aim of informing future studies of this concept. This article is divided into three parts. The first part offers a brief history of ideas of authorship in modern literary theories (ca. 1900 to the present). I trouble the narrative of the ‘death and resurrection of the author’ by showing that the concept of authorship has remained a constant concern, and by highlighting continuities between different theories. The second part identifies three main issues about the concept – agency/creativity, intention/authority, and self-presentation/self-construction. I illustrate how each of them has been addressed in recent discussions, focusing mainly on the last three decades, and point to potential directions for future research within each strand of debate. Finally, I provide a non-exhaustive typology of methodological approaches to the study of authorship. I will conclude with a brief consideration of the value of this concept for literary criticism.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Subject

General Engineering

Reference61 articles.

1. Ahearne, Jeremy & John Speller (eds.). 2012. Bourdieu and the literary field. [special issue]. Paragraph 35(1).

2. Alber, Jan & Monika Fludernik. 2010. Introduction. In Jan Alber & Monika Fludernik (eds.), Postclassical narratology: Approaches and analyses, 1–31. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press.

3. Altes, Liesbeth Korthals. 2010. Slippery author figures, ethos, and value regimes. Houelle-becq, a case. In Gillis J. Dorleijn, Ralf Grüttemeier & Liesbeth Korthals Altes (eds.), Authorship revisited: Conceptions of authorship around 1900 and 2000, 95–118. Leuven: Peeters.

4. Barthes, Roland. 1975 [1973]. The Pleasure of the text. Trans. Richard Miller. New York: Hill and Wang.

5. Barthes, Roland. 1977 [1966]. Introduction to the structural analysis of narratives. In Roland Barthes, Image-Music-Text. Trans. Stephen Heath, 79–124. Glasgow: Fontana Press.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3