Re-Evaluation Of New Historicism

Emerging in the late 1970s and early 1980s, New Historicism is one of significant literary critical theories in the 20th century. With the introduction of history into the study of literature, it aims to oppose the formalism that attributes both to the New Criticism and to the critical deconstruction. As a rebellious literary criticism, it receives a great amount of accusations, which are mainly focused on four aspects: the accusations of its theoretical construction-the"historicity of texts"and"textuality of history", the accusations of its ambiguous political tendency, the accusations of its methodology and the accusations of its future development.This thesis aims to reevaluate New Historicism from four aspects above in order to re-recognize New Historicism by affirming its validity of theoretical construction-the"historicity of texts"and the"textuality of history", digging out its unique political and ideological tendency, analyzing its advantages of inheritance and innovation of methodology and elucidating its great vitality in integration of the humanism and scientism.The thesis consists of six parts. The first part is the introduction, which includes two sections. The first section focuses on the brief introduction to New Historicism. The second section consists of the contemporary studies of New Historicism at home and abroad, including summaries of positive contentions and negative accusations of New Historicism.The second part is Chapter One, which is divided into four sections, demonstrates the validity of"historicity of texts"and"textuality of history"and affirms them as the essential theoretical constructions of New Historicism. The first section is the summary of criticisms of"historicity of text"and"textuality of history". The second section mainly focuses on the orientation of New Historicism. New Historicism takes text as its analytical field, where it can access history and pursue the truth of history. The third and fourth sections are to analyze the validity of"historicity of texts"and"textuality of history"respectively in detail.The third part is Chapter Two, which is divided into four sections, elucidates the unique political and ideological tendency of New Historicism through the analysis of the ideological influence from Marxism and post-structuralism. The first section is the summary of criticism of political and ideological tendency of new historicism. The second section is mainly focused on the influence from Marxist ideology. The third section is chiefly centralized on the influence from the post-structuralism. The last section is the analysis of the unique features of ideology of New Historicism.The fourth part is Chapter Three, which is divided into three sections, analyzes the superior advantages of the inheritance and innovation of methodology of new historicism. The first section is the summary of criticism of methodology of New Historicism. The second section is focus on the aspect of inheritance and the third section is on the aspect of innovation.The fifth part is Chapter Four, which is divided into two sections, indicates the vitality of New Historicism in the form of integration of the humanism and the scientism. The first section is the summary of criticism of the future development of New Historicism. The second is primarily concentrated on analysis of the integration of the humanism and the scientism in New Historicism.The last part is the conclusion: as a significant literary critical theory in the 20th century, New Historicism should be re-recognized by reevaluation from the four aspects. The two dictums of"historicity of texts"and"textuality of history"are the essential elements in theoretical construction. The unique ideology is formed by obtaining influence from Marxism as well as inherited from post-structuralism, especially the Foucault's discourse. In the aspect of methodology, New Historicism not only inherits from its processors, but also creates its own methods, all of which show great advantages in its critical process. As to the development of New Historicism, its energy and vitality should be emphasized. It is full of marrows in the integration of the humanism and the scientism, which makes New Historicism avoid humanism's lack of stable foundation and scientism's mechanism.