![]() True collectors have hankies that stretch much farther back in time, for these keepsakes were special to someone, and were thus saved, and survived for us to savor. Personally, I have handkerchiefs in my collection dating back to 1893. Some hankies have been saved for decades. I know because over the years, I’ve heard countless stories from people about a handkerchief they treasure. Who could imagine that a simple square of cotton or silk could hold memories of sadness, loss, joy, hope, happiness and love in their evanescent folds? But they do. Douglas Bruster argues that the 'culture' literary critiques investigate through the works of Shakespeare and other writers is largely a literary culture, and he examines what this necessary limitation of the scope of 'cultural studies' means for the discipline of early modern studies.Stories of hope, heartache and happiness hiding in the humble handkerchief – ![]() Shakespeare and the Question of Culture addresses the central issue of 'culture' in early modern studies through both literary history and disciplinary critique. This 'cultural turn' has clearly enriched the way in which we read the texts of early modern England, but the interdisciplinary practices involved have frequently led critics to make claims about materials - and about the 'culture' these materials appear to embody - that exceed those materials' representativeness. Since the mid-1980s, however, it has been just as likely for critics to speak of the 'culture' of early modern England, even when they do so in conjunction with analysis of literary texts. ![]() Put briefly, earlier critics tended to focus on literary texts, strictly conceived: plays, poems, prose fictions, essays. One could call this a move from 'text' to 'culture'. ![]() The last two decades have witnessed a profound change in the way we receive the literary texts of early modern England. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |