Key Concepts in Literary Theory

Key Concepts in Literary Theory provides the student of literature with clearly presented and authoritative definitions of some of the most significant and often difficult to grasp terms and concepts currently used in the study of literary theory. It brings together terms from many areas of literary theory, including cultural studies, psychoanalysis, poststructuralism, marxist and feminist literary studies, postcolonialism, and other areas of identity politics with which literary studies concerns itself.In addition, the volume provides accessible discussions of the main areas of literary, critical and cultural study, supported by bibliographies and a chronology of major critics whose work has informed critical studies of literature today, also accompanied by bibliographies.Features* Provides clear definitions of 300 terms in literary theory and criticism* Provides readers with a range of essential literary concepts and period terms, including 'irony', 'existentialism', 'symbolism' and 'modernism' and concentrates on literary criticism and theory, from 'aporia' and 'liminality' to 'phallocentrism' and 'simulacra' * Reflects contemporary literary theory's rapidly changing terminology and looks to the future shape of literary theory in entries from 'technoscience' and 'cyberwar' to 'mnemotechnic' and 'digitality'* Includes terms such as 'gender parody', 'cyborg' and 'masquerade' to show that literary theory has made connections with gender studies and with media and popular culture* Provides two accompanying reference sections:- Areas of Literary, Critical and Cultural study, which provides definitions of the significant movements and critical approaches within twentieth-century critical study, from Archetypal Criticism to Textual Criticism, each of which is accompanied by a bibliography of suggested reading - A Chronology of Critics, which covers thinkers from Karl Marx to Judith Butler, each entry being accompanied by a brief bi