Ebook: Literature: An Introduction to Theory and Analysis

How does literature work? And what does it mean? How does it relate to the world: to politics, to history, to the environment? How do we analyse and interpret a literary text, paying attention to its specific poetic and fictitious qualities? This wide-ranging introduction helps students to explore these and many other essential questions in the study of literature, criticism and theory. In a series of introductory chapters, leading international scholars present the fundamental topics of literary studies through conceptual definitions as well as interpretative readings of works familiar from a range of world literary traditions.
In an easy-to-navigate format, Literature: An Introduction to Theory and Analysis covers such topics as:
Key definitions — from plot, character, and style to genre, trope, and author
Literature’s relationship to the surrounding world — ethics, politics, gender, and nature
Modes of literature and criticism — from books to performance, from creative to critical writing
With annotated reading guides throughout and a glossary of major critical schools to help students when studying, revising and writing essays, this is an essential introduction and reference guide to the study of literature at all levels.