The Literary Turn In "Post-Theory"

This paper mainly investigates the literary turn in "post-Theory".The first chapter introduces the notion of "Theory",and the relationship between "Theory" and linguistics,"Theory" and other literary theories.The main topic is about the relationship between "Theory",the linguistic turn and the literature.The second chapter mainly introduces the concept of "post-Theory" and three aspects of"post-Theory" according to different attitude towards "Theory":the resistance to"Theory",the heritage of "Theory" and the improvement to "Theory".The last one includes two aspects:come back to a bigger "Theory" or go to smaller theories.The last three chapters are about the literary turn in "post-Theory" from three different standpoints.The fourth chapter is the "post-Theory" in literary studies.This turn shows the shift from the study of social politics to the study of literary texts.Ideological criticism has been challenged.Topics of meaning and value are coming back,including the discussion of interpretation limits,the value of canon,and the return of the aesthetics.This turn shows a return to the "pre-Theory" era,but also contains something new "post-Theory".The fifth chapter starts from the standpoint out of literary study.The linguistic turn changes the traditional concept of discipline.All the questions of different disciplines "post-Theory" can be now regarded as the problem of language.Literature from that point brings much inspiration to those non-literary fields,such as law study,philosophy,history and so on.These studies also bring new things to literary theory,expanding the influence of literature.The last chapter sees "Theory" from the standpoint of "Theory" itself.From this point,"Theory" discovers the literary in itself.Jonathan Culler and David Simpson show us that literature has ruled "Theory".James Wood’s new kind of writing provides a model combining theory and literature.This turn eliminates the boundary between"Theory" and literature,directing a new future for literary and "Theory".The literary turn in "post-Theory" shows that literature is not dead.It exists in a variety of changed forms,and "Theory" is not dead too.Its most precious heritage is preserved in literature.The investigation of the literary turn in "post-Theory" will provide useful suggestions for the future of literature and "Theory".