The Structure of Literary UnderstandingHow does a reader respond to a work of literature and how does he begin to evaluate it? Mr Olsen attempts to answer these and related questions. The book is in two parts. In the first three chapters, the author demolishes established theories that literature has a special language, provides a heightened insight into 'truth' and has emotion as its prime currency. In the remaining chapters Mr Olsen constructs and fully illustrates the theory that understanding of a work of literature comes in two complementary stages: first, judgements about the author's aesthetic intentions (interpretation); second, appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of the work (evaluation). At the end of his argument, attempting an answer to the question 'Why is literature important?', Mr Olsen characterizes literature as an institution and thus forges links with contemporary philosophy which sees all human action as ordered and defined by social institutions. |
Contents
LITERATURE AND EMOTION | 24 |
LITERATURE AND TRUTH | 46 |
THE STRUCTURE OF THE LITERARY | 82 |
THE VALIDATION OF INTERPRETATIVE | 118 |
EVALUATION OF LITERARY WORKS | 160 |
THE EVALUATION OF LITERARY | 199 |
Bibliography | 224 |
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acceptable action activity aesthetic argument artistic aspects becomes behaviour called certain challenge characters coherence complexity concepts concerning connection consequences considered consistency constitute context conventions correct course criticism culture deal debate defined described determined developed discourse discussion distinction elements emotion established evaluation example existence experience expression fact feeling function further give given human identified important independent insight integrated intentional interest interpretation involved judge judgements kind knowledge language levels lines linguistic literary literature logical London meaning mind moral nature necessary object passage Peer person Philosophical play poem poetry possible practice present problem qualities question reader reading reason recognize reference reflections relevant requirement seems segments semantic sense sentence serve significance situation statements status structure suggested symbol taken theory thought tion tone true truth understanding utterance vocabulary