Written Communication Jan 2005

“The Rhetoric of Literary Criticism” Revisited

Laura Wilder Yale University

Abstract

Fahnestock and Secor’s “The Rhetoric of Literary Criticism” characterized literary criticism of the 1970s as conservative and self-celebratory. However, although literary theory has since undergone significant change, few rhetorical analyses of recent literary criticism as the preferred genre of a disciplinary discourse community have been conducted. This analysis of 28 articles of literary criticism published between 1999 and 2001 reveals that because of their flexibility, the stasis and special topoi conventions of earlier literary criticism continue to function. However, the shared values assumed in literary criticism have shifted away from a preference for isolated meditation on textual particulars. Instead, criticism is now portrayed as a conversation in which knowledge about literary texts and their historical contexts is socially negotiated and accumulative. Moreover, this scholarly project is frequently assumed to work toward social justice. The article ends with implications for understanding how knowledge is built within disciplinary communities.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2005-01-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088304272751
Open Access
Closed
Topics
discourse analysis

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (13)

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  3. Banting (2023)
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  4. Fields et al. (2021)
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  5. Corrigan (2017)
    Teaching What We Do in Literary Studies
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  1. Schreibersdorf (2014)
    Literary Discipline in the Margins
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  2. Wiatrak-Uhlenkott et al. (2013)
    Book Reviews: Rhetorical Strategies and Genre Conventions in Literary Studies: …
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  3. Wolfe (2011)
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  4. Roozen (2010)
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  6. Eisenhart (2006)
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  7. Warren (2006)
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  8. Wilder (2006)
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Cites in this index (11)

  1. Wilder (2002)
    “Get Comfortable With Uncertainty”
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  2. Paul et al. (2001)
    Moving beyond the Moment
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. HAAS (1994)
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    Written Communication
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  5. MacDONALD (1992)
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    Written Communication
Show all 11 →
  1. MacDONALD (1989)
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    Written Communication
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    Written Communication
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    Written Communication
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    Research in the Teaching of English
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    Written Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 31 View in citation network →

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