U1 Focus Questions

Question 1

How is Eagleton’s approach different from New Criticism?

Answer 1

Formalist approaches mainly focus on the form or structure of a literary work, instead of its content, whereas New Criticism sees the content and the form are closely connected and equally important

Question 2

What is the difference between literature and Literature?

Answer 2

The difference is instructive. Literature tells you about being or about life, literature instructs how to do things and get around life. Literature holds more value (the values people have when they read for pleasure vs what they’re taught to value academically)

Question 3

How did historical conditions and material interests shape the development of Engl studies at Cambridge?

Answer 3

In response to the aesthetic experience of lit emphasized by the Romantics, Eagleton saw lit as a means of culturally assimilating the masses by perpetuating ‘universal truths and values’ to reproduce social hierarchies. The balance between using it to maintain social order and educate the masses led to the dev. of a uni class emphasizing close reading and seeing a text-as-a-text without emotional value or influence. Made it possible to distinguish educated readers from common ones. Imposed new social norms

Question 4

Why does Eagleton think lit is lacking an essence?

Answer 4

There is no inherent meaning hiding in the text. He identifies reading as functional and not strictly ontological (metaphysical)