English 456: C20 Criticism and Theory Questions on
Edward Said's Al Drake | Cyber Cafe | Thurs. 4-6 1. Said wants to move away from theories that he believes have construed the literary text as an object apart from the world, from everyday reality. How, according to Said, does Paul Ricoeur's analysis of the opposition between speech and texts reproduce the problem that Said wants to avoid? 2. Said considers texts "worldly"--i.e. not as self-contained objects but as relating to a broader social and political reality. How is this view of his furthered by his analysis on page 1213-15 of the argument between the medieval Koran scholars known respectively as Zahirites (especially Ibn Hazm) and Batinists? 3. From 1215-17, Said discusses the work of Hopkins, Wilde, and Conrad. What does he argue is special about their texts, and why does this special quality matter to the overall argument he is pursuing about the relation between the world, the text, and the critic? 4. From 1218-20, Said further refines his statements about the "will to worldliness." What is his ultimate point about the relationship between text and speech, and between text and the world? 5. From 1221-22, Said discusses the role of the critic and criticism. What value does he ascribe to them? Why is it vital that critics be more than caretakers for the meaning of past works? *The reading selection is from Adams, Hazard. Critical Theory Since Plato. Rev. ed. New York: Harcourt, 1992. 1211-22.
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