Situated Utterances: Texts, Bodies, and Cultural Representations

The book explores the evolution of New Criticism through a reconstructed model that emphasizes ironic and suspicious close reading across various cultural contexts. It is divided into four parts: the first critiques the disassembly of New Criticism post-World War II; the second applies this model to works like Theocritus's Idylls and Spenser's The Faerie Queene; the third examines cultural representations linked to institutional changes; and the fourth analyzes Plato's dialogues, highlighting the tension between oral and written cultures. The conclusion offers a comprehensive overview of critical strategies.