Problematics of Literary Criticism
Code
722091133
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Estudos Portugueses
Credits
10
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) The major aim of this seminar is a true knowledge of contemporary debates in literary criticism, but always trying to articulate them with literary texts and the problems they raise, preferentially but not exclusively texts written in Portuguese language;
b) The seminar will also try to show the persistency of a few problems through many of the classic texts of literary criticism, which need to be carefully studied in order to identify different paradigms and programs of critical research;
c) The seminar also intends to consolidate the power to relate literary criticism with large debates that cross the whole field of social sciences, humanities, philosophy and language theories.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1.Histories of literary modernity
1.1. Literature and the history of human sciences: Michel Foucault.
1.2. The tradition of rupture and an anthropological frame for literary modernity: Octavio Paz.
2.Literary anthropologies
2.1. Romantic ethno-semiology from Alexandre Herculano to Serpa Pinto: travels in 19th century.
2.2. Poetic sinology: Camilo Pessanha, Victor Segalen and Ezra Pound.
2.3. Modern paganisms: Walter Pater, Fernando Pessoa and Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen.
3.Ethno-anthropological connections of literary history
3.1. Nationality, race and the discourse of literary history: Teófilo Braga.
3.2. The ethnograpic makings of literary neo-realism in Portuguese language.
3.3. Ethnographic writing under literary scrutiny: Clifford Geertz and the anthropologist as author.
Bibliography
ANDRESEN, Sophia de Mello Breyner. O Nu na Antiguidade Clássica. 3ª ed: Editorial Caminho, 1992 (1ª ed.: 1975).
CLIFFORD, James / MARCUS, George. Writing Culture: the Poetics and Politics of Ethnography. University of California Press, 1986.
FOUCAULT, Michel. As Palavras e as Coisas: uma Arqueologia das Ciências Humanas. Edições 70, 2002 (1ª ed. Franc.: 1966).
GEERTZ, Clifford. Works and Lives: the Anthropologist as Author. Stanford University Press, 1988.
GUSMÃO, Manuel. Uma Razão Dialógica: Ensaios sobre Literatura, a sua Experiência do Humano e a sua Teoria. Edições Avante, 2011.
Teaching method
The seminar is based on the reading and discussion of a set of literary and theoretical texts, demanding actual participation of all students.
Evaluation method
Class participation represents 20% of the final grade.
Preliminary presentation of the final paper before the class is mandatory for all students and represents 20% of the final grade.
The final research paper, with 15 to 20 pages (including bibliography), worths 60% of the final grade.