How Girard sees his own literary project. -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 13:02:46 01/16/08 Wed
Author: j.jackson
Subject: How Girard sees his own literary project.

You'll note that he does not want to be seen as reductionist; that is, he doesn't want his readers to think that he has a prefabricated grid into which all narratives must fit. He admits repeatedly that "mimetic theory" is not his own, that it was developed long ago in the literature we now read, and that he is simply re-saying what these texts already say.

From p. x from "Introduction":
"Instead of interpreting the great masterpieces in light of modern theories, we must criticize modern theories in the light of these masterpieces, once their theoretical voice has become explicit. Our relationship with the works of mimetic revelation cannot be defined as 'critical' in the usual sense. We have more to learn from them than they have to learn from us; we must be students in the most literal sense of the word. Our conceptual tools do not come up to their level; instead of 'applying' to them our ever changing methodologies, we should try to divest ourselves of our misconceptions in order to reach the superior perspective they embody."

Nowe, whether or not you buy this explanation, well, we shall see by the end of the semester.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: How Girard sees his own literary project. -- Kiernan, 07:15:45 01/21/08 Mon