Paper #1: Falling Into Theory

For this paper, I want you to choose a work of art outside what we normally consider ‘literature’—that is, classic books or something that might have been assigned for an English class. It can be another book, but preferably something that might raise people’s eyebrows if you called it literature—science fiction, romance, Young Adult, a comic, etc. Or, it can be a painting (but not an established, classical one), any kind of show/,movie, music (but again, something not accepted as classic in any sense) or even a video game. In short, choose anything that seems to tell some kind of story in words or images. Choose something you know very well and have a strong connection with. Then use that work for ONE of the following options:

READ IT AS THEORY (Culler, Chapter 1): “Works regarded as theory have effects beyond their original field...the main effect of theory is the disputing of ‘common sense’: commonsense views about meaning, writing, literature, experience.” Read this work as theory: how can you take its ideas, views, and perspective to help examine or critique something outside it? For example, how can a pop song challenge our ideas about feminine sexuality? Or how can artwork by Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars) challenge our notions about the future and/or ideas of humanity once you put it in space? Try to respond directly to Culler’s ideas in Chapter 1 to help you see connections between your work and theory. Don’t use theory to read your work—read your work as theory.

READ IT AS LITERATURE (Culler, Chapter 2): “Aesthetic objects, for Kant and other theorists, have a ‘purposiveness without purpose’...[we are] not to take the work as primarily destined to accomplishing some purpose, such as informing or persuading us...Language resists the frames we impose on it.” Read this work as literature and explain why we can define it as such. What does literature do, according to Culler, and how does your work do the same? How does it draw attention to the way it uses language (or the language of images)? How does it direct itself toward a specific audience? How does it use deictics and intertextuality as part of its language? Also, how do we enrich the work by reading it as literature; what do we gain by it?

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must quote Culler and use his ideas to help you discuss/advance your argument. In each option, you are making the case that your work is either theory or literature. You have to prove this—don’t take it for granted.
• Quote using MLA guidelines: that means introducing quotes and citing page numbers Culler (or other books) at the end.
• Should be at least 3-4 pages long as a minimum 
• Due Next Monday, August 29^th by 5pm (no class that day)