Category: Introduction to Literary Theory

A. An infant’s inability to speak prior to the mirror stage
B. The referential relationships among symbols, signifiers, and signs
C. The multi-layered nature of language in a literary work
D. The formulaic shift between economic and political themes

A. mirrors our physical evolution as human beings.
B. prevents us from communicating through writing or speech.
C. involves a constant process of deferred meaning.
D. evolved exclusively as a function of our individual psyche.

A. Literary theory engages with theoretical rather than real-world issues.
B. Literary theory asks fundamental questions about literary interpretation, and at the same time builds specific systems of literary interpretation.
C. Literary theory relies totally on speculation rather than history.
D. Literary theory is detached from the reality of politics and the economy.

A. The reader fills in the gaps imposed by an author’s intention.
B. The reader is sublimated beneath the author.
C. The reader is less important than the author’s context.
D. The reader is totally subject to the author’s intention.

A. A theory that abandons the idea of history as an imitation of events
B. A theory that regards history as a series of narratives
C. A theory that capitalizes on the interplay between literature and history
D. All of the above

A. No fixed, stable meaning is possible.
B. Language must be studied in conjunction with history in order to create meaning.
C. There is no potential for multiple and differing meanings in a work of literature.
D. Literature is timeless, and thus meaning does not change.

A. Literary theory does not offer a holistic interpretation of a text.
B. Literary theory depends on specialized knowledge that is outside the realm of literary studies.
C. Literary theory is sometimes very abstract and difficult to read.
D. All of the above.

A. Sigmund Freud
B. Carl Jung
C. William James
D. Theodor W. Adorno

A. To represent the relationship between colonizers and the colonized
B. To draw attention to the positive effects of colonization on literature
C. To explain why there are few examples of successful non-Western literature
D. To show the ways in which mostWestern literature is superior

A. Gender does not reflect an essential truth, but rather is a role people play based on their internalization of socially constructed gender roles.
B. Gender roles do not exist.
C. Real gender roles are scripted by excellent writers.
D. Only individuals who have the capacity to perform have gender.