Search results

1

THE INCOMPARABLE AS UNINTERPRETABLE: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND THE QUESTION OF RELEVANT (RE)CONTEXTUALIZATION

100%

Terian A.

World Literature Studies

|

2013

|

vol. 5 (22)

|

issue 2

52 – 63

EN

This article approaches the topic of the “incomparable” in contemporary comparative literature in four steps. Firstly, it systematizes the problem, i.e. it describes the most important contemporary aspects of the thesis of the “incomparable” (or of the “incommensurable”). Secondly, it historicizes the discussion, meaning it tries to prove that many of the current controversies replay – frequently using the same arguments or arguments inferred from them – some of the older debates on the “incomparable” nature of literary works. Thirdly, it “trivializes” the issue – in the meaning of the pragmatic concept proposed by Richard Rorty, for whom “trivialization” is the philosophical procedure of limiting the differences in nature among specific phenomena to differences of degree. Fourthly, it re-examines in brief the problem of the “comparable” from the perspective of its relevance for the contexts of literary interpretation. The conclusion of the article is an advocacy of the comparative approach to literary practices, which, for now, remains a challenge rather than a well-defined field of study within current comparatism.

2

IS THERE AN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPEAN POST-COLONIALISM? TOWARDS A UNIFIED THEORY OF (INTER) LITERARY DEPENDENCY

100%

Terian A.

World Literature Studies

|

2012

|

vol. 4 (21)

|

issue 3

21 – 36

EN

This paper interrogates the existence of the East-Central European post-colonialism, which has known considerable dissemination in the post-colonial studies of the last decade. There are two versions to this mentioned: (1) that of “remote” pot-colonialism, according to which East-Central Europe was the field of the colonization carried out by the great Western powers, which was seen in the construction and propagation of the so-called “East-European Orientalism”; and (2) that of post-colonialism “by annexation”, according to which East-Central Europe was colonised by the regional empires. The thesis of “remote” post-colonialism is rejected, as “Orientalization” is a process which was applied not only by Western Europe to Eastern Europe, but it can equally well be said to characterize the relations between countries situated only in the West or only in the East of Europe. Therefore, in its current configuration, such a thesis faces the anger of blending any conceptual distinction in a post-colonialism without shores. In order to prevent such conceptual indeterminacy, the thesis of post-colonialism “by annexation” is reformulated here within a theory of (inter) literary dependency, based on Wallerstein´s world systems analysis, Even-Zohar´s poly-system theory and Ďurišin´s theory of inter-literary process. The author´s study differentiates among 4 types of “dependent” literatures – minority, marginal, post-colonial and mimetic – which are used in the characterization of the position of East-Central European literatures over the past two centuries. The conclusion of this paper is that with the exception of the former Soviet Republics, post-colonialism represents a valid instrument in the analysis of East –Central European literatures only for several provinces in the Tsarist and Austro-Hungarian Empires.

3

ROMANIAN LITERATURE FOR THE WORLD: A MATTER OF PROPERTY

100%

Terian A.

World Literature Studies

|

2015

|

vol. 7 (24)

|

issue 2

3 – 14

EN

Starting from the recent developments in the fields of transnational studies and world literature, this article analyses the presence of Romanian literature in the world and its specific manner of relating to the world. Thus, the author ś paper consists of three parts. The first part approaches, in short, the way in which Romanian culture envisaged national literature, world literature and the relationship between the two over the past two centuries. The second part is an attempt to systematize the manner in which Romanian literature asserted its presence in the world until now, by identifying four successive waves of its dissemination beyond national borders. Finally, the third part of the article poses a new approach toward the problem, meant to contribute to a better understanding and, at the same time, an improvement of the presence of Romanian literature in the world.

Refine search results

3 World Literature Studies

3 Terian A.

1 2015

1 2013

1 2012

THE INCOMPARABLE AS UNINTERPRETABLE: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND THE QUESTION OF RELEVANT (RE)CONTEXTUALIZATION

IS THERE AN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPEAN POST-COLONIALISM? TOWARDS A UNIFIED THEORY OF (INTER) LITERARY DEPENDENCY

ROMANIAN LITERATURE FOR THE WORLD: A MATTER OF PROPERTY