New Historicism

New Historicism is an approach to literary criticism and literary theory based on the premise that a literary work should be considered a product of the time, place, and circumstances of its composition rather than as an isolated creation of genius. New Historicists aim simultaneously to understand the work through its historical context and to understand history through literature. The method derives principally from the work of the philosopher Michel Foucault, based both on his theory of the limits of collective cultural knowledge and on his technique of examining a broad array of documents in order to understand the episteme of a particular time. New Historicism developed in the 1980s, primarily through the work of the critic Stephen Greenblatt, and gained widespread influence in the 1990s.

Related Topics:
Literary criticism - Literary theory - Philosopher - Michel Foucault - Episteme - 1980s - Stephen Greenblatt - 1990s

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