The Pleasures of Babel: Contemporary American Literature and TheoryThe Pleasures of Babel acquaints the layperson and the expert alike with the creative and intellectual achievements of America's multicultural society. Arguing that the present is "a great period of writing," Jay Clayton relates novels from the seventies, eighties, and nineties to the latest developments in literary theory. He offers a lucid, cutting-edge look at the often stormy relationship between contemporary literature and criticism. Avoiding theoretical jargon, Clayton systematically sets out to make sense of the critical movements of the last two decades: deconstruction, psychoanalysis, minority writing, multiculturalism, and feminism. In the course of clarifying the accomplishments of Barthes, Kristeva, Lyotard, Said, and others, the author discusses some of America's most prominent writers of fiction: Saul Bellow, Sandra Cisneros, E.L. Doctorow, Toni Morrison, and many others. The result successfully weds a layperson's guide to recent criticism with a scholarly application of that criticism to the very works it concerns. In light of the current debates being waged over the canon and multiculturalism, The Pleasures of Babel should prove an indispensable tool for those engaged in the practice of literary criticism, as well as anyone concerned with the way in which narrative interacts with society. |
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Contents
CultureNarrativePower | 3 |
The Story of Deconstruction | 32 |
Theories of Desire | 61 |
Copyright | |
3 other sections not shown
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The Pleasures of Babel: Contemporary American Literature and Theory Jay Clayton Limited preview - 1993 |
The Pleasures of Babel: Contemporary American Literature and Theory Jay Clayton Limited preview - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
activity American analysis argue authority become beginning called chapter character Chicago collective conception concerns constructed contemporary context continues creates critics culture death deconstruction desire discourse discussion dominant effect essay example experience feminist fiction figure Finally forms give groups human idea important individual intellectual interest interpretation issues John kind knowledge language liberal literary literature lives look meaning Miller minority modes mother move movement narrative narrator notion novel oppositional organized Paul political position possible Postmodern practice present production question reading realm relation René Girard represents ritual role seems sense sexual shared social society story storytelling structure struggle studies suggests tell theorists theory thing thinking tion tive traditional turn United violence vision White woman women writing York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Pleasures of Babel: Contemporary American Literature and Theory OUP E-Books |
| Author | Jay Clayton |
| Contributor | ProQuest (Firm) |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, 1993 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Aug 1, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0195083725, 9780195083729 |
| Length | 209 pages |
| Subjects | › › Religion / Christianity / History |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |