Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2024

Rethinking the Mechanisms of Knowledge Generation in Literary Theory

(Abstract)

Xing Jianchang

Literary theory, as a discourse on literature, necessitates the presence of literature itself in the production of its theoretical knowledge. A good theory is literary, not merely in a rhetorical sense, but in that it serves as both a perspective for identifying theoretical issues and as a tool for textual analysis. Interpretation is not only a means to realize literary meaning but also a fundamental pathway to elevate theoretical knowledge of literature. The impartiality and authority of interpretation are less determined by the text’s structure and more by the effectiveness of its interpretation. The effectiveness of interpretation is demonstrated by the alignment between perspective and object. The propriety of literary interpretation is not the ultimate goal of interpretation; rather, it involves engaging with the polyphony of literary interpretation through empathetic understanding.