Agent in Literature & Literary Theory

Etymology of Agent

The term “agent” has its etymological roots in the Latin word “agens,” derived from the verb “agere,” which means “to do” or “to act.”

This Latin word is associated with the concept of a person or entity that carries out actions or exercises authority on behalf of another.

With time, the term “agent” has evolved to refer to individuals or entities who act on behalf of and under the authority of others, often in a professional or legal capacity, to perform various tasks, represent interests, or facilitate transactions.

The concept of agency is fundamental in law, business, and various social contexts, and its etymology reflects the underlying notion of action and representation.

Meanings of Agent

Aspect	Meaning
Narrative Agent	Characters or entities that advance the plot within a literary work.
Author as Agent	The author’s role in creating and shaping characters and themes to convey their message.
Literary Agency	Professionals who represent authors and negotiate book deals in the publishing industry.
Intentional Agent	The implied author’s intentions and the intended meaning behind the text.
Socio-Political Agents	Characters or elements representing broader social, political, or cultural forces.
Structural Agent	Elements like motifs, symbols, or narrative devices contributing to the text’s organization and meaning.
Reader as Agent	The active role of readers in interpreting and constructing meaning within a text.
Agency in Postmodernism	Questioning traditional authorial control and fixed interpretations in postmodern literary theory.

Definition of Agent as a Theoretical Term

In theoretical contexts, an “agent” is a term that designates an entity or actor capable of initiating, executing, or influencing actions within a given system or framework.

This concept is often used to analyze and describe the capacity of individuals, organizations, or elements to bring about change or generate effects, particularly in fields such as sociology, economics, and artificial intelligence. Agents are characterized by their autonomy, decision-making capabilities, and their potential to impact the outcomes or dynamics of the system they are situated within.

Agent: Theorists, Works, and Arguments

Theorists:

• Immanuel Kant: Kant discussed the concept of moral agency and the autonomy of rational agents in his works on ethics, particularly in Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Critique of Practical Reason.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Rousseau explored the notion of the social contract, wherein individuals collectively form a political community and act as moral agents, in his seminal work The Social Contract.
• Jürgen Habermas: Habermas, in works like The Theory of Communicative Action, emphasized the role of communicative rationality in shaping agency and the potential for emancipatory action in modern society.

Works:

• Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant: In this foundational work, Kant delineates his ideas on moral agency, moral autonomy, and the categorical imperative as a guide for ethical action.
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Rousseau’s work outlines the concept of the social contract and the idea of collective agency in the formation of just societies.
• The Theory of Communicative Action by Jürgen Habermas: Habermas presents his theory of communicative action and communicative rationality, highlighting the importance of language and discourse in shaping human agency and social change.

Key Arguments:

• Moral Agency in Kant: Kant argues that individuals possess moral agency through their rational capacity to act according to universal moral principles, emphasizing the inherent autonomy of rational agents in ethical decision-making.
• Social Contract in Rousseau: Rousseau’s argument revolves around the idea that individuals collectively exercise agency by entering into a social contract, forming a political community with shared rules and obligations.
• Communicative Rationality in Habermas: Habermas contends that communicative rationality, rooted in open and free discourse, serves as the basis for agency and social transformation, promoting the idea that rational communication leads to consensus and cooperative action.

Agent and Literary Theories

Theory	Critique
Structuralism:	Structuralism, while valuable for understanding underlying patterns in literature, is often criticized for its focus on the text’s structure at the expense of individual agency. It can be seen as reducing characters to mere functions within a pre-established system, neglecting their individual motivations and actions.
Psychoanalytic Theory:	Psychoanalytic theory, notably associated with Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on human behavior. Critics argue that this focus on the subconscious can reduce characters to products of their psyches, potentially overlooking external influences and societal factors that shape their agency.
Marxist Literary Theory:	Marxist theory examines literature through the lens of class struggle and economic forces. Critics argue that it tends to reduce characters to representatives of social classes and economic systems, potentially oversimplifying their motives and actions, and neglecting their individual agency.
Postcolonial Theory:	Postcolonial theory explores the impact of colonialism and imperialism on literature. Critics argue that it might overemphasize the influence of external colonial powers, potentially downplaying the agency and resistance of characters in colonized societies.
Feminist Literary Theory:	Feminist theory often highlights the portrayal of gender and power dynamics in literature. Critics argue that it can overemphasize gender-based victimization and oppression, potentially limiting the agency and complexity of female characters.
Postmodernism:	Postmodern literary theory challenges traditional notions of authorial control and fixed interpretations. Some critics argue that this focus on the instability of meaning can lead to a loss of agency within the text, making it difficult to discern clear intentions or character actions.

Agent in Literary Criticism

1. In Macbeth, the characters are often seen as agents driven by supernatural forces, particularly the prophecies of the witches, which can diminish their individual agency. Macbeth’s descent into tyranny is influenced by external factors, raising questions about the extent of his personal responsibility as an agent.
2. While Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice explores the agency of its female characters, such as Elizabeth Bennet, it also reveals societal constraints that limit their choices. The critique centers on whether the characters are too constrained by the social norms of the time, potentially affecting the authenticity of their agency as agents.
3. In Huxley’s dystopian vision presented in Brave New World, individual agency is compromised by a highly controlled society where people are conditioned from birth. This critique questions whether the characters’ actions are genuine expressions of their will or merely products of a manipulative system, challenging their roles as agents.
4. In Orwell’s novel 1984, the oppressive totalitarian regime severely limits individual agency, and the protagonist, Winston Smith, struggles to assert his independence as an agent. Some critics argue that the bleak portrayal of a society devoid of agency can be overly pessimistic, potentially overshadowing the possibilities for resistance by agents within the system.

These critiques highlight the complexity of individual agency within the context of these literary works, where external forces and societal constraints play a significant role in shaping the characters’ actions and choices.

Suggested Readings

1. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell, 2008.
2. Foucault, Michel. The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of Medical Perception. Vintage Books, 1994.
3. Jameson, Fredric. The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act. Cornell University Press, 1982.
4. Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Translated by Mary Gregor, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
5. Orwell, George. 1984. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1949.
6. Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose. Dalkey Archive Press, 1990.
7. Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1927.
8. Wimsatt, William K., and Monroe C. Beardsley. “The Intentional Fallacy.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 54, no. 3, 1946, pp. 468-488.