Critical Theory: A Reader for Literary and Cultural Studies - Softcover

"This anthology reverses the trend toward bigger, bulkier collections without sacrificing the coverage and selections needed for a responsible theory course. The selections are thoughtfully chosen, artfully focused, and reflect the scope of contemporary theory today."
--Steven J. Venturino, Loyola University Chicago

"Critical Theory would make a welcome addition to anyone's bookshelf. I know from experience that Robert Dale Parker's How to Interpret Literature has been incredibly helpful to my theory students. He makes sense of difficult theoretical positions, and he's an enjoyable read. Parker is acutely aware of the many difficulties of assembling such an anthology and he has put a great deal of thought into the choices he has made, both in regard to his selections and his organization--it is fresh and new, but not unfamiliar."
--David Ben-Merre, Buffalo State College

A wide-ranging and refreshingly up-to-date anthology of primary readings, Critical Theory: A Reader for Literary and Cultural Studies, edited by Robert Dale Parker, presents a provocative mix of contemporary and classic essays in critical theory.

From the foundational ideas of Marx and Freud to key writings by Fanon and Foucault, the essays in this collection represent the most influential ideas in modern critical thought and in the contemporary interpretation of literature and culture.

Ideal as a stand-alone reader or as a companion to a critical theory survey--including How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory for Literary and Cultural Studies, also by Robert Dale Parker--this collection of seminal readings invites students to join in the ongoing debates and controversies of critical discussion, reading, writing, and interpretation.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
* Provides a comprehensive selection of key works that speak to students' needs and interests without overwhelming them with too many selections
* Offers clear, brief, and engaging headnotes at the beginning of each selection that place the essay in context (i.e., what the essay responds to or what responds to it) and elucidate its key arguments
* Includes key pieces from cultural studies critics not always well known in literary studies, including selections on youth culture by Dick Hebdige, Angela McRobbie, and Tricia Rose
* Provides a glossary of critical terms, giving students a quick and reliable in-text resource
* Covers a variety of theoretical schools--from New Criticism, Structuralism, and Deconstruction to Feminism, Queer Studies, and Postcolonial and Race Studies--weaving connections among chapters to show how these different movements respond to and build on each other
* Organizes selections by theoretical school, unfolding chronologically and matching the organization of Parker's popular How to Interpret Literature
* Features "see also" recommendations that connect different essays and critical movements from across the volume