Abstract/Abstraction in Literary Theory

Etymology of Abstract/ Abstraction

The term “abstract” and its derivative “abstraction” find their roots in the Latin word “abstrahere.” It means “to pull away” or “to draw away.”

This etymological origin reflects the fundamental concept underlying these words, which pertains to the act of isolating or extracting essential qualities, ideas, or concepts from a larger, complex whole.

Meanings

Abstract:

Summary or Summary Art: An abbreviated representation that captures essential qualities or features, often devoid of specific details or context.

Theoretical Concept: A conceptual or theoretical idea, separate from physical existence or concrete reality.
Summary of a Document: A concise overview of a longer written work, highlighting its key points.
Thought Process: The act of thinking in terms of general principles or concepts rather than specific instances.

Abstraction:

Conceptual Simplification: The process of simplifying complex ideas or objects by focusing on their essential characteristics or properties.
Artistic Expression: A style of art that emphasizes non-representational or non-objective forms, often using geometric shapes, colors, and patterns to convey emotions or ideas.
Computer Science: The technique of hiding complex implementation details while exposing only necessary functionalities in software development.

Philosophical Notion: The idea of considering objects, concepts, or phenomena in a conceptual or general manner, as opposed to their specific, concrete manifestations.

Theoretical Concept in Literary Theory:

Conceptual Interpretation: In literary theory, abstraction refers to the conceptual interpretation of literary works beyond their surface narratives. It involves the analysis of underlying themes, ideas, and symbolic representations that transcend the literal content.
Deconstruction of Texts: Literary abstraction often involves deconstructing texts to uncover hidden meanings, subtext, and broader philosophical or cultural implications. It encourages readers to delve into the text’s abstract layers of interpretation.

Exploration of Universal Themes: Abstraction in literary theory allows scholars to explore universal themes, such as love, mortality, and identity, that recur across various texts and time periods, leading to a deeper understanding of human experience.
Engagement with Literary Criticism: The theoretical concept of abstraction plays a pivotal role in literary criticism, providing scholars with the tools to analyze literature on a more profound and abstract level, ultimately contributing to the development of critical perspectives and literary discourse.

Abstraction in Different Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relationship with Cocept
New Criticism	Emphasizes abstract reading by looking for underlying themes and motifs in texts. New Criticism encourages readers to analyze literature by examining its elements that tie a work together, such as recurring themes, symbolism, and motifs. It focuses on the text itself, seeking abstract meaning beyond surface details.
Structuralism	Focuses on abstract analysis by identifying recurring patterns and structures. Structuralism delves into its structures that shape meaning in literature. It seeks to uncover abstract elements like narrative or linguistic patterns, binary oppositions, and recurring motifs to decipher deeper layers of meaning within texts.
Postcolonialism	Involves abstract analysis of larger issues such as power dynamics and cultural identity. Postcolonialism engages in its analysis by exploring broader societal and cultural concepts. It examines abstract themes like power dynamics, cultural identity, and the legacy of colonialism across various texts and historical periods.
Feminist Theory	Abstract analysis includes examining gender representation and language use. Feminist Theory takes this approach by scrutinizing how literature represents and reinforces gender roles and stereotypes. It also considers abstract elements like language and rhetoric in shaping and challenging traditional gender norms.
Queer Theory	Abstract analysis involves considering identity, representation, and desire politics. Queer Theory adopts this perspective to examine the construction and representation of sexuality and gender identity in literature. It explores abstract questions surrounding identity, representation, and the politics of desire.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Involves abstract analysis of recurring symbols related to unconscious desires. Psychoanalytic Theory conducts abstract analysis by identifying recurring symbols, themes, and psychological elements that reflect unconscious desires and motivations in literary texts.
Marxism	Abstract analysis examines class struggle, labor relations, and ideological impact. Marxism employs abstract analysis to investigate larger socio-economic structures within literature. It explores abstract concepts like class struggle, labor relations, and the role of ideology in shaping cultural production.
Reader-Response Theory	Abstract analysis considers the nature of reading and the role of the reader. Reader-Response Theory takes an abstract stance by exploring abstract concepts like the nature of reading, the reader’s interpretation, and the interactive relationship between the reader and the text.
Postmodernism	Abstract analysis explores the nature of truth, authorship, and language-reality links. Postmodernism challenges traditional forms of representation and meaning-making, leading to abstract inquiries into the nature of truth, authorship, and the intricate relationship between language and reality.
Ecocriticism	Abstract analysis addresses human-nature relationships and environmental ethics. Ecocriticism adopts an abstract viewpoint by examining the abstract questions related to human-nature interactions, environmental degradation, and the ethical dimensions of environmentalism within literature.
Cognitive Literary Studies	Involves abstract analysis of cognitive processes, metaphors, and language-thought connections. Cognitive Literary Studies engage in abstract analysis by exploring abstract aspects of cognition, the role of metaphor and imagery, and the interplay between language and thought in literature.

Different Theorists on Abstract/Abstraction

Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE)

Works: The Republic (c. 380 BCE)

Contribution: Plato explored these philosophical concepts, including the theory of Forms, which posits it, ideal forms exist beyond the material world and are more real than the physical manifestations.

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)

Works: Critique of Pure Reason (1781)
Contribution: Kant delved into the these realms of metaphysics and epistemology, emphasizing the role of abstract concepts and categories in human understanding and the limits of abstraction in knowledge.

Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913)

Works: Course in General Linguistics (1916)
Contribution: Saussure pioneered structuralism and semiotics, emphasizing the abstraction of linguistic signs and their structural relationships in the study of language and meaning.

Piet Mondrian (1872–1944)

Works: Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow (1930)

Contribution: Mondrian was a prominent these artist associated with De Stijl movement, known for his abstraction of art into geometric forms and primary colors, exploring the idea of pure abstraction.

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)

Works: Being and Nothingness (1943)
Contribution: Sartre’s existentialist philosophy delves into the abstract concepts of existence, freedom, and consciousness, emphasizing the individual’s responsibility in creating meaning in an inherently abstract world.

Jacques Derrida (1930–2004)

Works: Of Grammatology (1967)
Contribution: Derrida is a key figure in deconstructionism, challenging the abstraction of language and text, and highlighting the inherent ambiguity and instability of meaning in written and spoken words.

Richard Rorty (1931–2007)

Works: Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (1979)

Contribution: Rorty engaged with the abstract nature of language and pragmatism, arguing that philosophy should move away from such foundationalism and focus on conversation and practice.

Michel Foucault (1926–1984)

Works: The Order of Things (1966)
Contribution: Foucault’s works often examined the abstract structures of knowledge and power, emphasizing how such categories and classifications shape societal understanding.

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)

Works: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921)
Contribution: Wittgenstein explored these concepts in philosophy of language and logic, emphasizing the limitations of language and the importance of precise linguistic analysis.

Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947)

Works: “Process and Reality” (1929)

Contribution: Whitehead delved into abstract metaphysical concepts, such as process philosophy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of abstract ideas and the dynamic nature of reality.

These theorists have made significant contributions to the understanding of these concepts and abstraction in various fields, including philosophy, art, linguistics, and literature.

Examples of “Abstraction” in Literature

Reference	Explanation
“The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot	Eliot’s poem is replete with sucg language and cultural allusions that demand a profound grasp of literary and historical context. For instance, the opening line, “April is the cruellest month,” is an abstract statement setting the poem’s tone through abstraction.
“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett	Beckett’s play is often interpreted as an abstraction of the human condition. Its characters endlessly await resolution or salvation that remains elusive. The play’s abundant ambiguous, abstract language resists easy interpretation.
*The Sound and the Fury* by William Faulkner	Faulkner’s novel uses as fragmented narrative structure with multiple narrators and perspectives, portraying a Southern family’s decline. Its stream-of-consciousness style creates a potent sense of psychological abstraction.
*To the Lighthouse* by Virginia Woolf	Woolf’s novel, known for its stream-of-consciousness style, presents an abstract portrayal of characters’ inner lives. Its manipulation of time and memory adds to the sense of abstraction within the narrative.
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot	This poem exemplifies Eliot’s style, characterized by fragmented, allusive language and exploration of themes like alienation and mortality. Persona and symbolism usage contribute to its abstraction.
“The Trial” by Franz Kafka	Kafka’s novel is a pinnacle of abstraction, depicting a faceless, bureaucratic system ensnaring its protagonist in an unending cycle of guilt and punishment. Abstract, allegorical means examine themes of power and control.
“The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot	Eliot’s poem is another instance, allusive style, exploring themes of death and spiritual emptiness. Its use of imagery and symbolism enhances abstraction, alongside its haunting, apocalyptic tone.

These references showcase how various works of literature employ abstraction to convey complex themes, emotions, and ideas, often through abstract language, fragmented narratives, and challenging interpretations.

You may read more on Theoretical Terms below:

Dialectical Materialism in Literature & Theory