In the early 1950s, Lionel Trilling emerged as a leading figure in literary criticism as he explored the social, psychological, aesthetic and cultural functions of literature. Out-of-mainstream criticism began to emerge from black Americans and feminists in the 1960s challenging the traditions of the past, and European critical theories gained importance. As Gregory S. Jay writes in this DLB volumes foreword: The period after 1955 brought a much-heightened emphasis on theoretical criticism and a real debate about the function of literary studies within the institutions of education and society. This volume provides details of that debate and insight into the individuals who advanced its viewpoints as they sought ... a place beyond interpretation or beyond formalism where the study of literature and the criticism of culture could be systematically joined.
27 entries include: M.H Abrams, Harold Bloom, Jonathan D. Culler, Paul de Man, Northrup Frye, E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Annette Kolodny, Adrienne Rich, Susan Sontag, George Steiner.