Critical TheoryCritical TheoryCritical TheoryCritical Theory

New Historicism and Cultural Studies

1980s

New Historicism and Cultural Studies

1980s

Historical CriticismHistorical Criticism

• What happened?

• What does the event tell us about history?

• What happened?

• What does the event tell us about history?

Text in contextText in context

• Produced as a response to its times

• Produced in order to alter the times

• Produced as a response to its times

• Produced in order to alter the times

ExampleExample

• Mark Twain was a writer who both reflected the prejudices of his time through the dialogue of the characters

• And challenged the attitude of an 1800’s America that in many ways accepted (or even promoted) racist attitudes.

• Mark Twain was a writer who both reflected the prejudices of his time through the dialogue of the characters

• And challenged the attitude of an 1800’s America that in many ways accepted (or even promoted) racist attitudes.

Ongoing InfluenceOngoing Influence

• Consider the impact the work has had on readers in eras subsequent to the one in which it was written

• How has the meaning of Huck Finn evolved or continues to be re-evaluated each subsequent generation?

• Consider the impact the work has had on readers in eras subsequent to the one in which it was written

• How has the meaning of Huck Finn evolved or continues to be re-evaluated each subsequent generation?

New HistoricismNew Historicism

• How has the event been interpreted?• What do the interpretations tell us about the

interpreters?• New historicism resists the notion that

history is a series of events that have a linear, causal relationship: even A caused event B; event B cause event C; and so on” (Tyson 278).

• How has the event been interpreted?• What do the interpretations tell us about the

interpreters?• New historicism resists the notion that

history is a series of events that have a linear, causal relationship: even A caused event B; event B cause event C; and so on” (Tyson 278).

ExampleExample• A New Historicist would recognize that Huck

Finn was written during a time when attitudes about race were quite different than current attitudes.

• However, they would also point out that there were plenty of people who also were working to change attitudes about race in America.

• Twain would have been aware of the broader context in America, not just the attitudes of people from one area.

• A New Historicist would recognize that Huck Finn was written during a time when attitudes about race were quite different than current attitudes.

• However, they would also point out that there were plenty of people who also were working to change attitudes about race in America.

• Twain would have been aware of the broader context in America, not just the attitudes of people from one area.

New Historicists and TruthNew Historicists and Truth• New Historicists also question whether the

truth about what really happened in the past can ever be purely and objectively known.

• New Historicists also question whether the truth about what really happened in the past can ever be purely and objectively known.

New Historicists and TruthNew Historicists and Truth• Consider, for example, how difficult it

would be to present the “truth” about the war in Afghanistan.

• We will be processing the implications of American warfare in 2000s for decades.

• This is a problem that this critical school is interested in.

• Consider, for example, how difficult it would be to present the “truth” about the war in Afghanistan.

• We will be processing the implications of American warfare in 2000s for decades.

• This is a problem that this critical school is interested in.

Questions a Historicist or New Historicist Might Ask:Questions a Historicist or New Historicist Might Ask:

• What language/characters/events present in the work reflect the current events of the author’s day?Are there words in the text that have changed their meaning from the time of the writing?

• How are such events interpreted and presented?• How are events' interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the

author? • Does the work's presentation support or condemn the event? • Can it be seen to do both?• How does this portrayal criticize the leading political figures or movements of the

day?• How does the literary text function as part of a continuum with other

historical/cultural texts from the same period...?• How can we use a literary work to "map" the interplay of both traditional and

subversive discourses circulating in the culture in which that work emerged and/or the cultures in which the work has been interpreted?

• How does the work consider traditionally marginalized populations?

• What language/characters/events present in the work reflect the current events of the author’s day?Are there words in the text that have changed their meaning from the time of the writing?

• How are such events interpreted and presented?• How are events' interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the

author? • Does the work's presentation support or condemn the event? • Can it be seen to do both?• How does this portrayal criticize the leading political figures or movements of the

day?• How does the literary text function as part of a continuum with other

historical/cultural texts from the same period...?• How can we use a literary work to "map" the interplay of both traditional and

subversive discourses circulating in the culture in which that work emerged and/or the cultures in which the work has been interpreted?

• How does the work consider traditionally marginalized populations?

Resources:Resources:• Michel Foucault - The Order of Things: An Archeology

of the Human Sciences, 1970;; Language, Counter-memory, Practice, 1977

• Clifford Geertz - The Interpretation of Cultures, 1973;; "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight," 1992

• Hayden White - Metahistory, 1974;; "The Politics of Historical Interpretation: Discipline and De-Sublimation," 1982

• Stephen Greenblatt - Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare, 1980

• Pierre Bourdieu - Outline of a Theory of Practice, 1977;; Homo Academicus, 1984;; The Field of Cultural Production, 1993

• Michel Foucault - The Order of Things: An Archeology of the Human Sciences, 1970;; Language, Counter-memory, Practice, 1977

• Clifford Geertz - The Interpretation of Cultures, 1973;; "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight," 1992

• Hayden White - Metahistory, 1974;; "The Politics of Historical Interpretation: Discipline and De-Sublimation," 1982

• Stephen Greenblatt - Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare, 1980

• Pierre Bourdieu - Outline of a Theory of Practice, 1977;; Homo Academicus, 1984;; The Field of Cultural Production, 1993