BA IV Semester EST 431 Literary Theory Study questions for End semester

Following are the study questions on BA IV Semester EST 431 Literary Theory Study put together by II year CEP students. Special thanks to Natasha Vijay of II CEP and those who contributed and questions.

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What is Literature?

1. How does Eagleton explain and critique the Formalist view of literature?
2. Comment on L.A Richard’s experiment
3. Explain the various objectives raised to different views of what constitutes literature
4. What is literature according to Terry Eagleton?
5. Explain Eagleton’s argument against objectivity.

Deconstruction

1. How can Sausure be deconstructed?
2. What is the influence of Levi Straus on deconstruction?
3. Contrast the bricoleur to the engineer
4. What is the center according to Derrida? Can the center be removed?
5. Describe certain binaries and show how they can be deconstructed.

Psychoanalysis

1. What does Lacan mean when he says that the phallis connects the signifiers to the signifieds in light of his previous statement that the signified is lost in a chain of signifiers.
2. In the imaginary stage, although there is a lack, there is no language. How can this be explained?

Queer Theory

1. Illustrate the stance taken by Butler regarding subject positions in Queer theory
2. What are the major concerns of gay and lesbian studies?
3. What does Butler say about the category “woman”?
4. How do Queer theorists challenge the feminist concept of sex and gender?

Ideology and Discourse

1. What is Marxist theory?
2. How does Marx structure the world in terms of capital and economics?
3. What is the ideal mode of production?
4. Talk about the concept of alienation of the worker in terms of Marxist theory
5. How does discourse create a relationship between power and knowledge, according to Focault?
6. What does Althusser talk about in his essay ideology and ideological state apparatus?
7. What is the difference between ideology and ideologies?

Postmodernism

1. Define modern, modernism, modernity
2. Who wrote the book “Postmodern conditions; report on knowledge”
3. Who says “We are in the realm of hyper reality?”
4. Explain the Rhizomatic model narratives
5. Discuss Arboresnce with respect to Deleuze and Guattari.