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    Subject: Semester/School Year: Chapter/Title: Author:: Chapter Two: What Is Literature and Does It Matter?

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    Frances Gallano Guzman Aplan
    In Chapter 2, Jonathan Culler explores the definition of literature. He notes that like the definition of a "weed," literature is difficult to precisely define. Culler argues that literature is differentiated from other writing forms through conventions and structures, such as poetry's recognizable forms, as well as its ability to create fictional worlds. He also discusses how newer works often reference older works of literature, and that literature can encourage both regulated creativity and new ways of thinking.

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    Subject: Semester/School Year: Chapter/Title: Author:: Chapter Two: What Is Literature and Does It Matter?

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    Frances Gallano Guzman Aplan
    256 views3 pages
    In Chapter 2, Jonathan Culler explores the definition of literature. He notes that like the definition of a "weed," literature is difficult to precisely define. Culler argues that literature is differentiated from other writing forms through conventions and structures, such as poetry's recognizable forms, as well as its ability to create fictional worlds. He also discusses how newer works often reference older works of literature, and that literature can encourage both regulated creativity and new ways of thinking.

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    Synthesis on Culler's Chapter two

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    What is Literature

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    In Chapter 2, Jonathan Culler explores the definition of literature. He notes that like the definition of a "weed," literature is difficult to precisely define. Culler argues that literature is differentiated from other writing forms through conventions and structures, such as poetry's recognizable forms, as well as its ability to create fictional worlds. He also discusses how newer works often reference older works of literature, and that literature can encourage both regulated creativity and new ways of thinking.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    256 views3 pages

    Subject: Semester/School Year: Chapter/Title: Author:: Chapter Two: What Is Literature and Does It Matter?

    Uploaded by

    Frances Gallano Guzman Aplan
    In Chapter 2, Jonathan Culler explores the definition of literature. He notes that like the definition of a "weed," literature is difficult to precisely define. Culler argues that literature is differentiated from other writing forms through conventions and structures, such as poetry's recognizable forms, as well as its ability to create fictional worlds. He also discusses how newer works often reference older works of literature, and that literature can encourage both regulated creativity and new ways of thinking.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    Subject: Literary Theory and Criticism

    Semester/School Year: First Semester/2017- 2018


    Chapter/Title: Chapter Two: What is Literature and
    Does it Matter?
    Author: Jonathan Culler

    In Chapter two of Jonathan Cullers Literary Theory the


    author explores the definition of literature itself in order to
    further acquaint the reader with that concept. For something
    that is discussed as often as literature it is interesting to
    think that the definition of the word itself is not so easily
    pinned down. Literature is not only the written word, says
    Culler, but it possesses a certain quality which makes it unique
    and worthy of attention.

    He poses the analogous question "What is a weed?" and goes


    on to answer it in a similar manner. Like literature, there
    doesn't seem to be a specific quality of "weedness" which will
    allow us to discriminate between weeds and plants or flowers. In
    this example, he is embodying his own later discussion of
    metaphor as "a way of knowing," of seeing "something as
    something else" (72) uses the technique of exemplification to
    good effect, making the point that such a seemingly ontological
    question is similar to "What is a weed?" Here he demonstrates
    what Derrida, in Deconstruction and Pragmatism has termed is a
    feature of deconstruction in that it is always "a question of
    reconsidering the protocols and the contexts of argumentation,
    the questions of competence, the language of discussion" (78).
    For Culler, what differentiates a weed from a plant is a series
    of choices made by people who have certain measures of power in
    gardening circles. What might have been a valued plant in the
    sixteenth century has become a pest in the twentieth. Culler
    then extrapolates this notion into the genre of literature in a
    manner which questions essentialist criteria in that both are
    defined by elements of choice as opposed to essential qualities.

    In addition, many qualities of literature can be applied to


    outside subjects with relative ease. So why then is literature
    so difficult to define? Culler believes that history has shaped
    the definition in such a way that it applies to more forms of
    writing than just narrative and nonfiction, rather any piece of
    writing with a structure (or purposeful lack thereof) and an
    innate ability to be analyzed could be considered a literary
    work. Also, in this modern age historical definitions might not
    apply. Culler reasons that literature may have some qualities
    that differentiate it from an autobiography or song for
    instance.

    What are those qualities? That is more difficult to


    discern, as many of them are universal, as stated previously.
    Literary Conventions are certainly a quality that sets
    literature apart from other forms of writing. Culler reasons
    that how you write a work is just as important as the content.
    The nature of literature is also important, because of their
    unique structure and function many types of poetry are instantly
    recognizable; this makes them literature. But neither that nor
    the integration of language cover the entirety of the question,
    literature also creates a fictional world in which the reader
    is privy to complex narrative woven using different
    techniques. Literature can also be aesthetically pleasing;
    people often debate about the beauty of the written word.

    Finally, one of the most interesting qualities of


    literature is its ability to build on itself. Newer works
    reference older ones and scores of authors put references to
    works like the Odyssey and classical readings into their work.
    For the last portion of the chapter, Culler discusses the
    functions of literature and the paradox it creates. Many argue
    that it encourages civility and education, as well as solitary
    study. However, it also encourages new avenues of thought which
    can lead to action. Literature is a paradox because it
    encourages regulated creativity, but it is that same regulation
    which allows authors to grow beyond the scope of convention and
    into their creative own. Culler ends the chapter by reminding
    the reader that scholars examine the nature of literature to
    better hone the tools of their trade, and know the medium with
    which they do their work. Questioning literature helps readers
    better understand the nature of creativity and their own ability
    to express themselves.

    Literature is essential to the development of critical


    thinking. When a person engages with a piece of literature,
    he/she must step into the shoes of someone else and evaluate the
    decisions made and the actions taken by that character. When we
    teach literature, we teach students to hypothesize by making
    predictions, and we teach them to synthesize different pieces of
    information in a way that makes sense. With literature, people
    learn to understand and make analogies, thereby developing their
    ability to compare and contrast ideas as well as to evaluate
    those comparisons and contrasts.
    It also provides the opportunity for people to understand
    human relationships as well as historical events in a way that
    is more personal and accessible. A person is hooked when he/she
    says, This character is just like X in my life. When an
    individual can identify with a character and with a story, then
    a reader is created, and that reader will go on to read anything
    else they encounter in the world. Therefore, literature allows
    us not only to develop our vocabulary and our reading
    comprehension skills but our consciousness as a member of a
    larger community. It gives us access to different perspectives,
    especially on controversial issues.

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