The Study In Vincent Leitch’s Literary And Cultural Theory

This paper examines the theories and thoughts of famous American literary and cultural theorist Vincent Leitch. Leitch discusses critical issues on the transformation of theoretical paradigms by analyzing them in historical context. This paper attempts to investigate Leitch’s thinking from three aspects:the literary theory which focuses on aesthetic study, the cultural theory which emphasizes its interdisciplinary and critical feature, and the post-theory which synthesizes the first two aspects with a self-reflectivity on theory. In literary theory, the discussion focuses on Leitch’s thinking on the paradigm transformation of literary theory from modern mode to postmodern mode. This chapter analyzes "Regime of Reason", a new mode which combines the totality of modern paradigm and the atomization of postmodern paradigm. This mode integrates and transcends the two paradigms with functional concepts and integrated criticism. In cultural theory, the discussion emphasizes on Leitch’s answer to the questions of the transformation and alternatives of cultural resistance under the permeation and domination of postmodern political economy, this chapter examines his analysis of the potential of cultural resistance and his proposals of liliiputian strategy and postmodern pastiche. In post-theory, the discussion focuses on Leitch’s reflection on the general situation of theory. This chapter examines Leitch’s theory of renaissance in the controversy about the end of theory, and with a close investigation of the institutionalized theory context, Leitch provides thoughts of reform and makes prediction of theory’s future. The last part of this paper focuses on the evaluation of Leitch’s theory, proceeding from his solution of theory paradigm transformation and the relationship between his theoretic study and politics, and this paper ends with a discussion of his contribution to the localization of theory in Chinese theoretical study.