Chronicles Simplifed

 Structuralism  The French intellectual movement of the 1950s known as structuralism is thought to have started with the writings of anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss and literary critic Roland Barthes. It arrived in Britain in the 1970s and rose to prominence in the 1980s. The theory is difficult to understand in isolation because it is linked to the study of broader structures in various situations. Structuralist Chickens and Liberal Humanist Eggs This theory suggests that "structure" is imposed by one's experiences and perceptions of the world rather than being innate to its objects. So, meaning is always outside (rather than inside) of things and is attributed to them by the viewer. In the context of literature, "structure" refers to the way that a text represents a particular genre. They are related to one another, just as a phrase is to the language. The text (phrase) is subject to the genre's (language) norms and conventions. Understanding Donne'...

Theory before Theory – Liberal Humanism  The History of English Studies English (language) became a subject of study only in 1828 at the London University College, following the charter (1826) to award degrees to men and women of all religions or none. Before that, education was a monopoly of the Church of England. English was first taught at King's College (later became London University) in 1831. Edward Freeman:  Professor of history Edward Freeman questioned the necessity of learning English and inquired, "What exactly is its knowledge component?" Citing how the advocates of English wanted to separate literature and language study, he questioned the logic in distinguishing literature from language in his convocation address in 1884. Although it prevented the creation of an English chair at Oxford, it made the English supporters reconsider their position. Freeman ultimately prevailed in the debate, and it was determined that in order for literature to be regarded as an ...