Introduction: “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
“Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton was first published in 1981 as part of the collection “Walter Benjamin: Towards a Revolutionary Criticism.” This essay holds significant importance in literature and literary theory as it challenges traditional notions of literary analysis and proposes a Marxist framework for understanding the text as a product of ideology and social history. Eagleton argues that the text is not merely a reflection of reality but rather a production of it, shaped by the dominant ideologies and power structures of its time.
Summary of “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
· Literary Texts as Ideological Productions
- Terry Eagleton argues that literary texts should be understood not as mere reflections or expressions of ideology, but as productions of ideology, similar to how a dramatic production transforms a dramatic text into something unique. He writes, “The relation between text and production is a relation of labour,” suggesting that just as a play’s performance is a unique product, so too is the literary text a distinct production of ideological structures.
· Interplay Between History, Ideology, and Texts
- Eagleton explores the intricate relationship between history, ideology, and literary texts, positing that ideology mediates history within texts. He asserts, “History, then, certainly ‘enters’ the text, not least the ‘historical’ text; but it enters it precisely as ideology,” indicating that historical realities are refracted through ideological lenses within literature. This refutes the notion that literature offers a direct, unmediated reflection of historical reality.
· Ideology as a Complex Formation
- The text critiques simplistic views of ideology as mere ‘false consciousness’ that obscures true historical perception. Eagleton emphasizes the complexity of ideology, stating that it “inserts individuals into history in a variety of ways,” allowing for different levels and kinds of access to historical reality. This complexity is reflected in how texts handle historical elements, presenting them as ideologically shaped representations rather than straightforward depictions.
· The Illusion of Freedom in Texts
- Eagleton discusses how literary texts create an illusion of freedom, a “momentarily liberated zone” where the pressures of historical reality seem to evaporate. However, he cautions that “such freedom is largely illusory,” as texts are still governed by ideological structures. This illusion is a part of the text’s nature, making it a space where ideological and historical realities are simultaneously engaged and evaded.
· Textual Real vs. Historical Real
- Eagleton differentiates between the ‘textual real’ and the ‘historical real,’ arguing that texts do not transmute reality into fantasy but produce “certain produced representations of the real into an imaginary object.” This ‘textual real’ is not a simple transposition of historical reality but rather the product of signifying practices rooted in history and ideology. Therefore, the relationship between a text and the historical reality it represents is complex and mediated through ideology.
· Structure of Texts and Ideology
- Eagleton challenges the idea that the structure of a literary text directly mirrors ideological structures. He argues that “The ‘truth’ of the text is not an essence but a practice,” where the text destructures and restructures ideology within its own terms. This process creates a dynamic interaction between text and ideology, leading to a “mutual structuring and destructuring” that is unique to each text.
· Scientific Criticism and Ideological Formations
- Eagleton advocates for a scientific approach to literary criticism, grounded in the study of ideological formations. He suggests that “The guarantor of a scientific criticism is the science of ideological formations,” implying that a deep understanding of ideology is necessary to accurately interpret and critique literary texts. This approach moves away from viewing criticism as mere application of historical materialism, instead treating it as a specific study of how literature produces and engages with ideology.
· The Reciprocal Operation of Text and Ideology
- Finally, Eagleton describes the relationship between text and ideology as a “ceaseless reciprocal operation,” where texts and ideologies constantly influence and reshape each other. This process does not result in a simple reproduction of ideological structures within texts but in a complex and dynamic interaction that creates a unique textual logic, “constructed ‘athwart’ that more encompassing logic” of ideology.
Literary Terms/Concepts in “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
| Literary Concept | Explanation |
| Ideology | A system of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape social and cultural practices. Eagleton argues that the literary text is a production of ideology, rather than a reflection of it. |
| Historical Materialism | A Marxist approach that emphasizes the role of material conditions (e.g., economic factors) in shaping history and society. Eagleton uses this framework to analyze the relationship between the text and its historical context. |
| Signifier and Signified | The signifier is the word or symbol, while the signified is the concept or object it represents. Eagleton argues that the literary text is a system of signifiers that produce a “pseudo-real” signified, which is related to but not identical to the historical real. |
| Pseudo-Real | The imaginary situations or objects depicted in a literary text. Eagleton emphasizes that the pseudo-real is not a direct representation of the historical real but rather a product of ideological signification. |
| Textual Structure | The arrangement and organization of elements within a literary text. Eagleton argues that the structure of the text is not simply a reflection of ideology but rather a complex interplay between the text and its ideological context. |
| Overdetermination | The idea that a literary text is influenced by multiple factors, including historical, ideological, and aesthetic elements. Eagleton emphasizes the overdetermined nature of the text and its relationship to ideology. |
| Aesthetic Modes | The various ways in which a literary text is produced and presented, such as narrative technique, style, and genre. Eagleton argues that aesthetic modes can both reinforce and challenge ideology. |
Contribution of “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton to Literary Theory/Theories
| Theory | Contribution |
| Marxism | Eagleton’s essay provides a significant contribution to Marxist literary theory by emphasizing the role of ideology and social history in shaping literary texts. He argues that the text is a production of ideology, rather than a reflection of it, and that it can be analyzed as a product of historical materialism. |
| New Criticism | While Eagleton’s approach is fundamentally different from New Criticism, his essay can be seen as a response to its formalism. By focusing on the relationship between the text and its historical context, Eagleton challenges the New Critical emphasis on the text as an autonomous work of art. |
| Structuralism | Eagleton’s concept of the “pseudo-real” aligns with Structuralist approaches that emphasize the underlying structures and systems that shape meaning in texts. However, Eagleton’s focus on ideology and history distinguishes his approach from purely formalist Structuralism. |
| Post-Structuralism | Eagleton’s essay can be seen as a precursor to Post-Structuralist theories, which also challenge the notion of a fixed and stable meaning in texts. His emphasis on the overdetermined nature of the text and its relationship to ideology aligns with Post-Structuralist ideas about the instability of meaning. |
| Cultural Studies | Eagleton’s essay contributes to Cultural Studies by emphasizing the importance of studying texts within their broader cultural and historical contexts. His focus on ideology and power relations aligns with the central concerns of Cultural Studies. |
Examples of Critiques Through “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
| Literary Work | Critique Through Eagleton’s Framework | Explanation |
| Charles Dickens’ Bleak House | Ideological Production of the ‘Textual Real’ | Eagleton would argue that Bleak House does not simply reflect Victorian London but produces an “imaginary London” through specific modes of ideological signification. The novel represents not just reality but the ways Victorian England signified itself. |
| William Shakespeare’s Hamlet | Text as a Site of Ideological Struggle | In Hamlet, the play is not just a dramatic text but a production of ideological conflicts, particularly around themes of power, authority, and the legitimacy of rule. Eagleton might argue that the play produces and reveals the ideological tensions of the Elizabethan era. |
| George Orwell’s 1984 | Textual Real as Ideologically Determined Reality | According to Eagleton, 1984 could be seen as producing an ideological representation of a dystopian society rather than simply depicting a possible future. The text creates a ‘pseudo-real’ world shaped by the totalitarian ideologies it critiques, demonstrating the text’s active role in producing its own reality. |
| Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice | Text’s Illusion of Freedom and Ideological Structure | Eagleton might critique Pride and Prejudice for its creation of an “illusion of freedom” in the social and romantic choices of its characters, which are ultimately constrained by the ideological structures of class and gender. The novel produces a social reality that seems to offer choice, yet this choice is largely illusory, governed by the prevailing ideologies of its time. |
Criticism Against “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
- Oversimplification of ideology: Some critics argue that Eagleton’s conception of ideology is overly simplistic, failing to account for the complexity and diversity of ideological formations.
- Reductionism of the text: Eagleton’s emphasis on the relationship between the text and its historical context can be seen as reductive, neglecting the text’s own internal dynamics and aesthetic qualities.
- Determinism: Some critics argue that Eagleton’s approach is overly deterministic, suggesting that the text is merely a product of its ideological and historical context, rather than a site of creative agency.
- Neglect of other factors: Eagleton’s focus on ideology and history may neglect other important factors that shape literary texts, such as authorial intention, aesthetic conventions, and reader response.
- Circular reasoning: Some critics argue that Eagleton’s analysis is circular, in that he uses ideology to explain the text and then uses the text to explain ideology, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
- Limited scope: Eagleton’s essay primarily focuses on Western literature and may not be applicable to other cultural contexts.
Suggested Readings: “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
- Eagleton, Terry. “Towards a Science of the Text.” Walter Benjamin: Towards a Revolutionary Criticism. Blackwell, 1981.
- McHale, Brian. Postmodernism: A History. Routledge, 2011.
- Eagleton, Terry. “Two Approaches in the Sociology of Literature.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 14, no. 3, 1988, pp. 469–76. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343699. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
- Guerriero, Stefano. “TERRY EAGLETON.” Belfagor, vol. 61, no. 6, 2006, pp. 659–70. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26150506. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
- Kavanagh, James H., et al. “Interview: Terry Eagleton.” Diacritics, vol. 12, no. 1, 1982, pp. 52–64. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/464791. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
- Eagleton, Terry. “Ideology, Fiction, Narrative.” Social Text, no. 2, 1979, pp. 62–80. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/466398. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
Representative Quotations from “Towards A Science Ofthe Text” by Terry Eagleton
| Quotation | Explanation |
| “The text, rather, is a certain production of ideology, for which the analogy of a dramatic production is in some ways appropriate.” | Eagleton emphasizes that a literary text is not a mere reflection of ideology but an active production, similar to a play’s transformation of a script into a unique performance. |
| “The relation between text and production is a relation of labour.” | This highlights the idea that the creation of a literary text involves an active process of labor, shaping ideology within its narrative. |
| “History, then, certainly ‘enters’ the text, not least the ‘historical’ text; but it enters it precisely as ideology.” | Eagleton argues that history is mediated by ideology in literary texts, not presented directly but refracted through ideological lenses. |
| “The ‘truth’ of the text is not an essence but a practice.” | This statement reflects Eagleton’s view that the meaning of a text is not inherent or fixed but is produced through its interaction with ideology and history. |
| “The text works, now with, now against the variable pressure of these valencies, finding itself able to admit one ideological element in relatively unprocessed form but finding therefore the need to displace or recast another.” | Eagleton describes the dynamic process by which a text negotiates and transforms different ideological elements within its structure. |
| “The ‘textual real’ is related to the historical real, not as an imaginary transposition of it, but as the product of certain signifying practices whose source and referent is, in the last instance, history itself.” | This quotation explains Eagleton’s concept of the ‘textual real,’ which is a product of ideological signification rather than a direct depiction of historical reality. |
| “The structure of the text is then the product of this process, not the reflection of its ideological environs.” | Eagleton argues that a text’s structure results from the interaction between text and ideology, rather than being a mere reflection of surrounding ideological structures. |
| “Ideology pre-exists the text; but the ideology of the text defines, operates and constitutes that ideology in ways unpremeditated, so to speak, by ideology itself.” | This highlights the idea that while ideology exists before the text, the text redefines and reshapes it through its unique production. |
| “The text’s illusion of freedom is part of its very nature – an effect of its peculiarly overdetermined relation to historical reality.” | Eagleton discusses how texts create an illusion of freedom, which is actually determined by their relationship to historical reality and ideology. |
| “Criticism is a specific element of the theory of superstructures, which studies the particular laws of its proper object; its task is not to study the laws of ideological formations, but the laws of the production of ideological discourses as literature.” | Eagleton outlines the role of criticism as a distinct study within Marxist theory, focused on understanding how literary texts produce ideological discourses. |