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The Life of Texts – summaryTable of Contents
,Chapter 2: The Many Dimensions of Literature
2.1 Introduction: Durable Texts
Image epitomises today’s difficulties through one of the most famous literary characters
Some texts are capable of leading lives beyond the singular context of their creation: they
appeal over time to new readers and prove applicable to the understanding of new
situations
Literary texts are not bound to a single moment; they can be reread & interpreted differently
in different contexts
Literariness lies in the fact that some texts acquire a value which is independent of their
practical applicability
Display text: a text that has acquired a value in and of itself
Durability of texts comes from the interaction of several factors:
o Textual characteristics poetic vs. narrative
o Effect of a text on its reader reflection vs. pleasure
o Status ascribed to the text by cultural authorities classification, valuation & canon
formation
2.2 Poetic Language
Poetic function: a text’s ability to draw attention to its own status as a text – as expression
Every speech act consists of 6 elements which all have different functions:
o Sender expressive
o Receiver conative
o Code (language) phatic
o Contact between sender & receiver metalingual
o Worldly context referential
o Message itself poetic
Poetic language implies non-standard usage that is striking because of the perceived skill
level of the user
2.3 Narrative
Narratives make up an important part of literature conceived in terms of cultural durability
Stories are a rich source of virtual experiences
Fictionality is the principle that public, in certain conditions, engages willingly in a game of
make-believe, granting the storyteller an implicit license to invent things
2.4 Reflection
Texts can become durable if they remain relevant to our intellectual lives by dealing with
existential or moral themes that define our understanding of the world
Texts that deal with universal themes can withstand the test of time by appealing to readers
as reflective beings
Defamiliarization gives literature a critical function: through its unusual forms, it resists
commonplaces & experiments with new ways of seeing familiar things
Singularity: an encounter with something unique which is the product of creativity
2.5 Pleasure
The appeal of narratives seems inextricably tied to the feelings they arouse “affect”
A lot of reading & viewing behavior is motivated by a wish to lose oneself in a virtual world
Aesthetic experience is a more detached form of pleasure
2.6 Classification: Genres
, Classifying texts is a significant part of literary studies
Texts that are written & read according to a shared model are described as belonging to a
particular genre
Definitions of literary genres are neither timeless nor universal
2.7 Valuation and Canonisation
Texts that belong to the literary genres are constantly judged; cultural authorities have an
important role to play in such evaluations (cultural authorities can be publishers, critics, etc.)
Literary production came to be seen as a field where different institutions or actors compete
with each other to produce literary value that comes through book sales
Social media is affecting the process of valuation’
Authors & publishers ensure production; cultural authorities & ordinary readers ensure
reproduction
Literary scholars & educationalists have challenged the idea that one canon can ever be
defined for an entire society
2.8 In Conclusion
Literature, in this chapter, is defined as a collection of durable texts
Literariness is connected to appreciation
Literariness exists at a crossroads where texts and value meet
Literary studies aims to understand why some texts have a richer cultural life than others,
and to develop ways of describing precisely their singularity
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