Literary Theory for Meaning Making
The question about the requirement of a literary theory depends on the meanings of the term as well as the understanding of the readers.
As stated earlier, a theory is a set of rules or assumptions to investigate things, a literary theory does the same in a similar fashion but it is applied to literary texts such as fiction, prose, poetry, etc. These set of rules are, then, applied to the literary texts to elaborate them through certain perspectives, ideologies, aesthetics, cultural values, existing moral or ethical framework, relevance to other cultures, etc. Actually, when the work of meaning making expands, it enters the realm of literary theory to interpret a text from various angles.
Literary Theory Helps Reading From Various Angles
These angles could be various. A theory depends upon all of these angles or any one of these. For example, if a text, say a poem by John Keats, is read only from the perspective of the readers how they feel after reading it, how it has impacted their belief system about the autumn and how it impacts their aesthetics, it is a reader-response perspective of a theoretical angel about “Ode to Autumn.” From this angle, the scholars and critics will only discuss the perspective of the readers and their responses to this poem. However, if these assumptions of the readers change, the meanings and angle of meanings, too, change. It then entirely rejects the idea of pure criticism, or the assumption that every reader has a presupposed innocence, or just an emotional reaction to a text.
Literary Theory Studies Ethical Frameworks
Similarly, the text could be read from a cultural perspective, say, the existing ethical framework of the culture in which it is written. For example, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, a short story, intrigues the readers with the ethical framework of a society that still accepts the lottery as a way to act upon absurd traditions based on stupid ideas. This social ethical framework still insists on it merely because it has been handed down from generations to another generation. In other words, it shows that another theoretical lens is required to study the power structure, indigenous traditions, and social frameworks which could fall under the category of postcolonial theory in broader terms.
Literary Theory Studies Power Structure
It means that a text could be read from the point of the power structure. It could entail the power of the indigenous people or the occupying culture. It turns to either side to interpret the perspective of the author, the reader, the characters of the text or the situation of the text, or even the presentation of the text. So many theories are applied to a single text that it could be interpreted in multiple different ways to show different perspectives that it represents. In other words, a theory is required to show that sometimes assumptions of the readers prove true when a text is read from his/her perspective.
Multidimensionality of Literary Theory
Briefly speaking, a theory is required to see a text from various angles to understand the author, his mental capability, his cultural background, his belief system, his ethical framework, his aesthetic capability and interest, his linguistic power, his understanding of the human persona including its identity, psychology, communication ability, etc. It is called multidimensionality of understanding. In fact, it involves so many and so varied things about humans and the universe that theoretical study becomes rather another venture of meaning-making that does not seem to have an end.
Suggesting Readings
