Basics of Literary Studies

Authors: prof. PhDr. Anton Pokrivčák, PhD.   prof. PaedDr. Silvia Pokrivčáková, PhD. Reviewers: doc. PhDr. Mária Hricková, PhD.  Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra   prof. PhDr. Jaroslav Kušnír, PhD.  University of Prešov Publisher: Faculty of Education, Trnava Univerzity in Trnava Edition: 1st Year: 2023    ISBN 978­‑80­‑568­‑0577­‑0 https://doi.​org/​10.​31262/​978­‑80­‑568­‑0577­‑0/​2023  Pokrivčák, Anton – Pokrivčáková, Silvia: Basics of Literary Studies. Trnava : Pedagogická fakulta Trnavskej univerzity v Trnave, 2023. 159 s. [7,70 AH]. ISBN 978­‑80­‑568­‑0577­‑0. 2,59 MB (2,47 MiB), 16. 9. 2024

Abstract:

For centuries, the study of literature has been a traditional and inseparable part of all philological and language­‑teacher training study programmes. However, its focus and content have substantially changed over time, mostly in response to philosophical, social, and cultural developments. So why should university study of languages still involve the study of literature? What benefits does it bring? Why and how should students read literature?

Some answers are provided in the present textbook which is intended to serve as guide for students beginning their study of literature today. As other similar study companions, it offers a concise and accessible discussion of central issues in the contemporary study of literary texts, including definitions of key terms such as literature and literary scholarship, periods of literary history, theoretical approaches to the study of literary texts, an overview of critical approaches, characteristics of language typical for literature, classification of literary kinds and genres, etc.

Despite its similarities with other study guides, the present textbook is unique at least in one aspect: it integrates the knowledge coming from the international context of the study of Anglophone literatures with a specific cultural and geographical context of Slovakia (and Czech Republic), which establishes a space for constructive comparation and mutual beneficiation.

The current text is an edited and extended version of the previous textbooks Focus on Literature (2003) and Understanding Literature (2006) by the same authors. The new and expanded edition is fully updated to include:

• a wider range of textual examples from Anglophone literatures,
• new developments in literary theory and criticism related to digital literature and digital humanities,
• updated resources, added online links, and DOIs to make the textbook usage more comfortable,
• and adapted references written in MLA style  which is most commonly used to cite sources within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines.

Compared to the previous editions, sections for independent study (lists of recommended sources and lists of literary terms) and self­‑regulated study (questions and check­‑yourself sections) were added to provoke students to discover and explore various ways of “understanding literature,” through their independent work in the libraries, on the internet, or by consulting other resources, all of which can significantly improve their appreciation and grasp of literature and its contexts.

Keywords:

study of literature, language of literature, literary kinds, genres of literature, digital literature, literary education