Midterm Flashcards
three types of world literature
- An emerging body of classics.
- An evolving canon of masterpieces.
- Multiple windows on the world.
what is a classic
Work of transcendent, even
foundational value.
ex the illiad
what is a masterpiece
Can be an ancient or a modern work and need not have had any
foundational cultural force
* Came into prominence in the 19 th century as literary studies began
to de-emphasize the dominant Greco-Roman Classics
ex faust by wolfgang
what is windows on the world
The “global” perspective.
how does work become world literature
1) By circulating out into the world beyond
its linguistic and cultural origin
2) By being read as literature
high vs low culture
High culture
* Culture of the elite class
Low culture
* Culture of the
masses /working class
universalism
Universalism implies that it is possible to apply generalized norms, values, or concepts to all people and cultures, regardless of the contexts in which they are located.
the great chain of being
The hierarchical structure of
beings, e.g. God is at the top,
followed by Angels, humans,
plants, minerals.
* Subjects further down the
hierarchy had less power and
were less respected.
* Disruptions to the social
hierarchy = supernatural
consequences
pathetic fallacy
when a writer attributes human emotions to
things that aren’t human (objects, weather, animals).
* Pathetic fallacy is often used to make the environment reflect
the inner experience of a narrator or other characters
dramatic unity
3 dramatic principles described
in Aristotle’s Poetics that limit
the time, setting, and plot of a
drama.
The action must take place
during a single day (unity of
time), use one setting
throughout (unity of place),
and concentrate on the
development of a single plot
(unity of action).
allegory
The use of symbols in a story, picture, etc., to convey a
hidden or ulterior meaning, typically a moral or political one;
symbolic representation
imperialism
Imperialism is when a country extends its power into other territories for economic or political gain. The goal of imperialism is to acquire resources, often through exploitation and force. Motives for imperialism include economic, cultural, political, moral, and exploratory control
colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment and maintenance of one group of people as superior to other peoples and areas, often for imperialist control and exploitation, and through a range of practices and relations of colonization, installing coloniality and possibly colonies.
postcolonial theory
Postcolonial theory is a literary theory or critical approach that deals with literature produced in countries that were once, or are now, colonies of other countries. It may also deal with literature written in or by citizens of colonizing countries that takes colonies or their peoples as its subject matter.
orientalism
orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world.
