Literary Theory In Cultural Study Of Williams And Its Significance

Since western cultural study theory came to China, it's been over twenty years, after Chinese transformation and construction, this originally marginal theory changed into contemporary practical learning, at the same time, extensive cultural study or culture-free study has been rising, this phenomenon reflects especially in literary study.In that way, what is culture in the end? What is cultural study? What's the relationship between cultural study and literary theory? I try to take Raymond Williams who was the leader in cultural study as an example, to discuss the literary theory under Williams' cultural study and its modern significance.Firstly, I give the definition to the word "culture", and emphasize the indeterminate,difficulty and argument of the definition; afterwards, trace to the source of cultural study's history, expound cultural study produced the establishment of contemporary cultural study center. During early days of the center, Raymond Williams was key person, his theory has got profound and far-reaching influence on worldwide cultural study. On the basis of introducing modern western cultural study's morphology,classification,and three theoretical characteristics: practicalness,politicalness,interdisciplinaralness, the focal point is to analyze and discuss Williams' literary theory in his cultural study.First of all, summarizingly recommed Raymond Williams, point out his literature background was profound and his family background was working class, which influenced his theory and ideology a lot, and then, summarize Williams' definition to "culture", stress that the most important theme in his different works is: culture is whole social life, this is the basis and starting point of Williams' cultural theory.Secondary, this paper take "Culture and Society", "Keywords", "Marxism and Literature", for foundation, analyze and discuss the core ideology of Williams' cultural study: culture materialism, "cultural sociology", as well as the importance and expansion to literary theory in his cultural study, that is, to use text close reading to be in progress of cultural study, thereby, Williams broaden the field of vision of literary theory, and so as to literary angle to construct his cultural study theory.Both cultural study and literary study of Williams, his ultimate aim is to intervene practical life of our society, then carry on criticize and critique.One more, explain Williams's influence on cultural study, culturary study and "mass culture", point out: He broaden the definition of culture, take materiality into its definition, meanwhile, afresh formulate the development of British cultural study; Williams broaden the use of literary study method, and also broaden the study territory of literary theory; he did rectification of name towards "mass culture ", and also critisized the malpractice.Finally, expound the significance of Williams' literary theory in his cultural study towards Chinese contemporary literary theory construction.