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5. Does literary theory have anything to do with composition theory?
Although they may share some basic ideologies, literary theory and composition theory differ significantly in their approach. Composition theory focuses on the student as writer and seeks to understand both the motivations of the writer, as well as the philosophies behind the pedagogies which are taught in the classroom. Literary theory focuses on the text to the exclusion of the author's intentions in the writing. In fact, a consideration of the author's intended message may lead a critic to the danger of the intentional fallacy.Briefly, both literary theory and composition theory can be broken down into three main modes of thought: Formalism, Structuralism, and Post-Structuralism. Formalism is a movement starting during the early part of the 20th century and reaching the height of it influence during the forties and fifties. The main idea is that the text has an intrinsic meaning which is apart from any outside influences such as the author, historical or social contexts. Meaning tends to be "fixed" with formalist criticism. Structuralism, which follows formalism, focuses on language as opposed to the text. It studies the system of differences within language which gives it an underlying universal principle or metameaning. Post-Structuralism is a rejection of the idea that there is a universal meaning or underlying principle. It embraces the concept instead that language, history, and other social structures are a patchwork quilt of different structures interacting with each other. These structures are referential in nature and derive their meaning not from anything intrinsic to them, but rather through the interplay of their relationships.Composition theories follow these modes of thought in their approach to pedagogy. Traditionalist theories in composition tend to align themselves with formalist ideas. Teachers utilizing traditionalist/formalist theories use techniques like reading great works of literature to act as models of good writing for the students. The idea here is that the intrinsic value within a great piece of literature will become apparent to the students who will then imitate it in their own writing.Cognitivist and expressivist theories in composition base themselves on structuralism, although expressivism also shares a close relationship with romanticism. Both theoretical approaches rely on universal principles. Cognitive theories use developmental strategies which they apply to a general population of students under the assumption that cognitive development is a universal and repeatable phenomena through recursive practices. Expressivist theories believe in the universal value of personal insight. The structure which they appeal to is a base human condition that the writer can reach through personal exploration. Therefore, expressivists look for archetypal structures such as "love" or "loss," and attempt to express them in ways which will bring the universal message across for the reader.Social-Constructionism uses post-structuralist ideas to form its pedagogies. Social-Constructionism rejects the idea of universal principles and instead studies the influences of social factors on writers. Writers are seen as being contextual forces in the language, both influencing and being influenced by it. The writer is encouraged to explore the intricate referential relationships between structures and exploit them in the writing.
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