About this Book

Literary Theory: A Reintroduction introduces the current state of theory by placing it in its social, historical, and institutional contexts.

• Focuses on the period preceding the ‘theory movement’ of the 1970s and 1980s as well as the aftermath
• Asks questions about how and why literary theory evolved in the 20th century
• Discusses key figures such as F.R. Leavis, Raymond Williams, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler and Alain Badiou
• Examines the influence of a wide range of topics in the field, from the Cold War to the culture wars