Modules on New Historicism
in this section center around some of the theorists that have either
inspired or defined this critical school. If
you are new to these theorists, you might consider working through the
modules following the (rough) chronological order in which these critics
hit the scene, which is to say as follows: Michel
Foucault » Stephen Greenblatt.
Note that, in January and February, I hope to add more representative
theorists to this section.
Modules are designed to work aggregatively, so that each subsequent
module tends to build on the concepts discussed in the previous modules;
however, each is also designed to stand alone, and will sometimes be
hyperlinked in other sections of the Guide to Theory. In this way, the
modules seek to rethink the way most text-based introductions work.
Like a text-based introduction, the modules can work progressively,
as if one were thus turning the pages in a book. However, the structure
is actually more akin to Deleuze and Guattari's notion of the rhizome:
endlessly aggregative (at least in theory) and connected to each other
and to the rest of the site by multiple additional links. One can therefore
progress through the modules in alternate ways; in the New-Historicism
modules, for example, one can concentrate on a single concept, history,
exploring how Foucault and Greenblatt each understand this term differently.
One can also explore connections between the modules on New Historicism
and those found in other locations in this site. The Foucault modules,
for example, link up logically with the Foucault modules under Gender
& Sex. There are also important connections between New Historicism
and Marxism (especially the Marx-inspired critical school, Cultural
Materialism). For a brief introduction to the four critics discussed
in the Modules, go to the General
The Modules for New Historicism are on the left of this screen. If
you place your cursor on one of the categories, the module sub-categories
for each theorist will appear as a link. (Note that some browsers require
you to double-click on the link.)
on these Modules has been supported by IHETS/IPSE (the Indiana
Higher Education Telecommunication System and the Indiana
Partnership for Statewide Education) and their Module
and Course Development Program.