Introduction: “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
“Counterfactual Literary Theory” by Nasser Mufti first appeared in Victorian Literature and Culture in 2018. This critical essay explores the conceptual framework of counterfactuality within the realm of literary theory, using the historical novel as a lens for analysis. Mufti interrogates the established Eurocentric paradigms of historical fiction, primarily those shaped by Georg Lukács’s The Historical Novel, and juxtaposes them with alternate narratives, particularly those inspired by C. L. R. James’s The Black Jacobins. By contemplating the question, “What if James, not Lukács, defined the historical novel?”, Mufti highlights the limitations of current historiographical assumptions and advocates for an expanded perspective that acknowledges non-European histories. He provocatively suggests that imagining alternative narratives, as Gallagher asserts, can “deepen our perceptions of actuality by shadowing and estranging them,” thus challenging the “givenness” of traditional historical transitions. Central to this discussion is the role of characters like Toussaint Louverture, whose revolutionary heroism defies the realist archetypes of Lukács, embodying instead the transformative potential of counterfactual literary imagination. This essay is significant for its call to rethink literary theory through the lens of global histories, urging the literary field to confront and broaden its epistemological boundaries.
Summary of “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
1. Contextual Framework: Counterfactual Inquiry in Literary Studies
Nasser Mufti’s essay originates from discussions at the “Novel Theory” conference, addressing the question: What does a counterfactual theory of the novel entail? The essay critiques Georg Lukács’s foundational work, The Historical Novel, through the lens of counterfactuality, encouraging reflection on “the necessity of imagining alternatives” (Gallagher, 2018, p. 15). Mufti proposes that counterfactual theory serves to challenge entrenched paradigms by “shadowing and estranging” established perceptions of literary historicism (Gallagher, 2018, p. 15).
2. Reimagining Historical Novel Theory through C. L. R. James
Mufti speculates on how the narrative of the historical novel might evolve if The Black Jacobins by C. L. R. James replaced Lukács’s The Historical Novel as the central theoretical blueprint. This shift foregrounds non-European histories, particularly the Haitian Revolution, as critical to understanding historical transitions. The essay explores whether James’s focus on figures like Toussaint Louverture could redefine the protagonist of historical fiction as one who is “self-contained, impenetrable, and stern” (James, 1938, p. 147), in contrast to the “middling” characters Lukács privileges.
3. Counterfactuality as a Method of Critical Expansion
The exercise of reimagining James as the foundational theorist of historical fiction is not meant to identify existing counterfactual novels but to illuminate the boundaries of the discipline itself. Mufti contends that counterfactuality exposes the limits of what the Anglo-American academy “knows and privileges,” challenging the Eurocentric narratives that dominate literary studies.
4. Critique of Lukács’s Eurocentric Historicism
Mufti questions Lukács’s premise that the historical novel emerged from the French Revolution’s “mass experience of history” (Lukács, 1962, p. 23). He argues that James complements and extends this narrative by positioning the Haitian Revolution as a pivotal historical moment, urging literary theory to consider revolutions outside Europe as foundational to historical transitions.
5. Protagonists and Historical Agency in Counterfactual Fiction
The essay contrasts Lukács’s realist characters, who reflect their social conditions, with James’s romantic heroes, exemplified by Louverture. These figures assert agency in shaping history, embodying a narrative style that diverges from the traditional historical novel. Louverture’s extraordinary resilience—”ride 125 miles a day,” “slept but two hours every night” (James, 1938, p. 250)—represents a radical departure from Lukácsian archetypes.
6. Conclusion: Expanding Literary Horizons
Mufti concludes that engaging in counterfactual theorization, while inherently speculative, is a powerful intellectual tool. By questioning established frameworks, such theorization “opens [the literary world] to our judgment” (Gallagher, 2018, p. 15) and enriches our understanding of what historical fiction can achieve.
References
- Gallagher, C. (2018). Telling It Like It Wasn’t: The Counterfactual Imagination in History and Fiction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- James, C. L. R. (1938). The Black Jacobins. London: Secker & Warburg.
- Lukács, G. (1962). The Historical Novel. London: Merlin Press.
Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
| Term/Concept | Definition/Explanation | Relevance in the Essay |
| Counterfactual Theory | A theoretical approach that explores alternate histories or scenarios that deviate from actual historical events. | Used to challenge established paradigms in literary studies and question the dominance of Eurocentric narratives. |
| Historicism | The interpretation of cultural and literary phenomena in their historical context, often emphasizing causality. | Mufti critiques Lukács’s historicism for its Eurocentric focus, advocating for broader inclusivity of non-European histories. |
| Historical Novel | A genre of literature that reconstructs past events, often highlighting the interplay between individual and societal forces. | Central to Mufti’s discussion, contrasting Lukács’s interpretation of the historical novel with James’s alternative, rooted in the Haitian Revolution. |
| Givenness | The perceived neutrality or inevitability of historical narratives and transitions. | Mufti questions the “givenness” of Lukács’s framework, proposing counterfactual narratives to reimagine historical transitions. |
| Mass Experience of History | Lukács’s idea that historical events like the French Revolution universalized the experience of history. | Critiqued by Mufti, who argues that events like the Haitian Revolution are equally significant in shaping collective historical consciousness. |
| Romantic Heroism | The portrayal of protagonists as larger-than-life figures, driven by extraordinary agency and individualism. | Exemplified by Toussaint Louverture in James’s The Black Jacobins, contrasting with the realist characters Lukács privileges in historical novels. |
| Realist Protagonists | Characters in historical novels who reflect and are shaped by their socio-historical conditions. | Lukács’s favored archetype, critiqued by Mufti for its limitations in representing revolutionary figures like Louverture. |
| Anglo-American Academic Privilege | The dominance of Anglo-American frameworks in defining literary theory and historical transitions. | Mufti critiques this bias, advocating for the inclusion of alternative global perspectives, especially from postcolonial contexts like the Caribbean. |
| Theoretical Blueprint | Foundational texts or thinkers that define a field or genre, shaping subsequent theoretical discussions. | Mufti proposes reimagining James’s The Black Jacobins as a theoretical blueprint instead of Lukács’s The Historical Novel. |
| Imagining Alternatives | Gallagher’s concept that exploring alternate scenarios can enhance our understanding of reality by providing contrast. | Fundamental to Mufti’s argument that counterfactual exercises are productive for rethinking and expanding the boundaries of literary theory and historiography. |
Contribution of “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti to Literary Theory/Theories
1. Expansion of Historicism in Literary Studies
- Mufti critiques the Eurocentric focus of Lukács’s historicism, particularly its reliance on the French Revolution as the foundation of historical novels (Lukács, 1962, p. 23).
- By introducing the Haitian Revolution as equally central, Mufti broadens the scope of historicism to include non-European perspectives, emphasizing global and postcolonial histories.
2. Reimagining the Protagonists in Historical Fiction
- The essay challenges Lukács’s privileging of realist protagonists, who reflect their socio-historical conditions, by advocating for the inclusion of romantic heroes like Toussaint Louverture (James, 1938, p. 91).
- This shift proposes a new lens for analyzing character agency in historical novels, blending romance and realism to reflect revolutionary leadership.
3. Counterfactuality as a Methodological Innovation
- By applying counterfactuality, Mufti engages with Catherine Gallagher’s idea of “imagining alternatives” to expose the biases of established frameworks (Gallagher, 2018, p. 15).
- This method allows for critical re-evaluation of literary theories, highlighting the speculative potential of counterfactual narratives in theorizing historical fiction.
4. Postcolonial Contributions to Marxist Literary Theory
- Mufti aligns C. L. R. James’s The Black Jacobins with Marxist literary traditions, offering an alternative to Lukács’s focus on bourgeois transitions by foregrounding slave rebellions as pivotal to historical transitions (James, 1938, p. 147).
- This reorientation situates postcolonial events and figures at the center of Marxist historiography and literary theory.
5. Decentering Anglo-American Academic Privilege
- The essay critiques the dominance of Anglo-American literary frameworks, advocating for the recognition of alternative global intellectual traditions (Mufti, 2018, p. 111).
- This call for inclusivity resonates with decolonial and postcolonial theoretical approaches, emphasizing the importance of diverse epistemologies.
6. Interrogating the “Givenness” of Historical Narratives
- Mufti questions the “neutral, inert givenness” of historical transitions as presented in traditional historicist frameworks (Gallagher, 2018, p. 15).
- By doing so, he invites literary theorists to critically assess the assumptions underlying their interpretations of history and fiction.
7. Contribution to Genre Theory
- The essay suggests that counterfactuality could redefine the boundaries of the historical novel genre, expanding its capacity to explore alternative histories and marginalized narratives.
- This contribution challenges the rigidity of genre classifications, advocating for a more fluid and inclusive understanding of literary forms.
8. Integration of Philosophical Inquiry in Literary Theory
- By juxtaposing Lukács and James, Mufti incorporates Hegelian philosophy into his counterfactual critique, exploring how historical consciousness and individual agency intersect in literature (Mufti, 2018, p. 110).
- This philosophical integration enriches the theoretical discourse on historical fiction and its narrative mechanisms.
Examples of Critiques Through “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
| Literary Work | Counterfactual Critique | Relevance to Mufti’s Theory |
| The Historical Novel by Georg Lukács | Mufti critiques Lukács’s Eurocentric narrative that roots the historical novel in the French Revolution (Lukács, 1962, p. 23). | Challenges the dominance of European historical transitions, proposing an alternative rooted in the Haitian Revolution (Mufti, 2018, p. 110). |
| The Black Jacobins by C. L. R. James | Explores how James’s depiction of Toussaint Louverture could redefine historical fiction through romantic heroism. | Highlights the shift from realist characters to figures who embody revolutionary agency and transformative potential (James, 1938, p. 91). |
| Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray | Imagines Thackeray’s work as a reflection of Atlantic revolutions, rather than a portrayal of bourgeois social dynamics. | Illustrates how counterfactuality can reframe canonical novels to foreground global and revolutionary narratives (Mufti, 2018, p. 111). |
| Marxism and Form by Fredric Jameson | Envisions Jameson dedicating a chapter to James’s The Black Jacobins instead of Lukács’s The Historical Novel. | Proposes an alternate intellectual tradition that prioritizes non-European revolutions in Marxist literary theory (Mufti, 2018, p. 110). |
Criticism Against “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
1. Over-Reliance on Speculation
- Counterfactuality, by its nature, is speculative and lacks concrete evidence or historical grounding. Critics may argue that this weakens the theoretical rigor of Mufti’s arguments.
- Imagining alternate frameworks, such as replacing Lukács with James, risks being dismissed as intellectual exercises without practical applicability.
2. Neglect of Existing Counterfactual Narratives
- While Mufti emphasizes the absence of counterfactual novels like those he envisions, critics might point out that many works already explore alternate histories and revolutionary perspectives.
- This oversight could be interpreted as a dismissal of existing contributions to the field.
3. Risk of Undermining Established Theories
- Replacing foundational figures like Lukács with James could be seen as undermining well-established and widely studied frameworks.
- Critics may argue that this approach destabilizes the coherence of literary theory without offering a fully developed alternative.
4. Potential for Reductionism
- By focusing on specific counterfactual scenarios (e.g., the Haitian Revolution as central to historical novels), Mufti risks reducing complex literary traditions to singular, oversimplified narratives.
- This approach may overlook the multifaceted influences that shape literary forms and theories.
5. Limited Engagement with Non-Western Counterfactualities
- While Mufti critiques Eurocentrism, his counterfactual framework remains focused on Western intellectual traditions, such as Marxism and Hegelianism.
- Critics could argue for broader inclusion of indigenous, African, or Asian frameworks to further decolonize literary theory.
6. Dependence on Gallagher’s Framework
- Mufti relies heavily on Catherine Gallagher’s concept of counterfactuality, which might lead critics to view his essay as derivative rather than innovative.
- This dependence may detract from the originality of his contributions to literary theory.
7. Ambiguity in Practical Application
- The counterfactual approach raises questions about its practical utility in analyzing existing literary texts or producing new literary critiques.
- Critics might argue that the speculative nature of Mufti’s propositions does not provide clear methodologies for literary analysis.
8. Overemphasis on Postcolonial Critique
- While the critique of Eurocentrism is valuable, some may view Mufti’s focus on postcolonial narratives as overly narrow, limiting the broader applicability of counterfactual literary theory.
Representative Quotations from “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti with Explanation
| Quotation | Explanation |
| “What does a counterfactual theory of the novel look like?” | Mufti opens his essay with this rhetorical question, framing the central inquiry into how counterfactual methodologies can reimagine the theory and history of the novel. |
| “Doing so can be, as Gallagher puts it, ‘an exercise not only in imagining alternatives . . . but also in reflecting on the necessity of imagining alternatives.'” | This quote highlights Gallagher’s argument that counterfactuality is essential for broadening understanding, which Mufti uses to justify his speculative approach to literary theory. |
| “How might we deploy such an alternate literary theory to ‘strip our own [world] of its neutral, inert givenness . . . and open it to our judgment?'” | Mufti critiques the perceived inevitability of historical narratives in Lukács’s historicism, advocating for counterfactuality as a tool to question and reinterpret these narratives. |
| “What if C. L. R. James, and not Lukács, wrote The Historical Novel?” | This speculative scenario exemplifies Mufti’s counterfactual approach, challenging the Eurocentric foundations of literary theory by proposing an alternative rooted in postcolonial perspectives. |
| “James teaches us that what was started in France in 1789 was completed in Haiti in 1804.” | This quote shifts the focus from European revolutions to the Haitian Revolution, emphasizing the global and interconnected nature of historical transitions in literary analysis. |
| “Take the protagonists of the classical historical novel, who are thoroughly formed by the social forces they are situated within.” | Mufti critiques Lukács’s emphasis on realist characters, contrasting them with James’s portrayal of revolutionary figures who exhibit extraordinary agency. |
| “Toussaint ‘was self-contained, impenetrable and stern, with the habit and manner of the born aristocrat.'” | Quoting James, Mufti underscores the romantic heroism of Toussaint Louverture, contrasting it with the realist archetypes favored by Lukács. |
| “What makes such an exercise counterfactual is that no such novel exists.” | Mufti clarifies that the value of counterfactuality lies not in identifying existing works but in theorizing the limits and possibilities of what could be. |
| “Considering a radically different account of the historical novel, as fallacious as it might be, is productive.” | This quote reinforces Mufti’s argument that counterfactuality, even if speculative, is a valuable intellectual tool for expanding theoretical boundaries. |
| “What if readings of a novel like Vanity Fair . . . could be about a revolution across the Atlantic?” | Mufti proposes reinterpreting canonical works through a counterfactual lens, reorienting their historical and cultural implications toward global revolutions like the Haitian Revolution. |
Suggested Readings: “Counterfactual Literary Theory” By Nasser Mufti
- Mufti, Nasser. “Hating Victorian Studies Properly.” Victorian Studies, vol. 62, no. 3, 2020, pp. 392–405. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2979/victorianstudies.62.3.02. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
- MUFTI, NASSER. “Counterfactual Literary Theory.” Victorian Literature and Culture, vol. 47, no. 1, 2019, pp. 109–12. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26789613. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
- LYNCH, DEIDRE. “‘Is This Real?'” Victorian Literature and Culture, vol. 47, no. 1, 2019, pp. 103–09. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26789612. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.