The Studyof Marcuse’s Viewpoints Of Literature Function

Almost every kinds of the "Literary Theory" involves a topic:what is the role of literature?This topic raises the paper’s theme:the viewpoints of literature function.The paper’s researching object is an important representative personage in Frankfurt school-Hebert Marcuse.From the perspective of literature function’s viewpoints,the paper try to comb the viewpoints of literature function’s origins,developments and significances; mainly analyze the viewpoints of literature function’s peculiarity,and then summarize Marcuse’s significances of literature function’s viewpoint.There are three chapters in this study:the beginning of the first chapter explains the ordinary meanings of "utility",the meanings of literature function’s viewpoint,and discusses the significances of literature function’s viewpoint.Then start with Meyer Howard Abrams’ work:"the Mirror and the Lamp", the paper thinks the relations between the works and the world,the writers,the readers and the works show four kinds of different functions:the function of knowing this world,the function of representation,the function of teaching and "Katharsis",and the aesthetic function. This theoretical framework opens the horizon of systematic analysis for studying the viewpoints of literature function:before the Romanticism,the theorists usually emphasis the first three functions.Until modern times,there particular emphasize the aesthetic function of the literature in Kant’s theory.Therefore,the paper outlines the viewpoints of literature function’s origins and developments:be Socrates’ Literature could produce function as start;Plato emphasize the literature’s political function;Aristotle regard as the function of teaching and "Katharsis";then to Kant,he regard as the literature’s aesthetic function;finally developing to Marxism literary criticism,which emphasize both the literature’s social affection and aesthetic function.Especially Western Marxism,their viewpoints of literature function show the following characters in some ways:it is different from the traditional theory,also different from Classical Marxism literary criticism.It pay equal attention to literature’s social function and aesthetic function, even pay more attention to the aesthetic function of literature.The second chapter is the core of the paper.Put the Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function as the object of the study,whose theory is distinctive among the Western Marxists. The paper analyzes Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function and explores its peculiarity.Firstly,surnmarizes and present the historical and realistic context,for explaining why Marcuse will generate the special viewpoints of literature function.Heidegger’s Existentialism makes Marcuse begin to attention to people’s existence;the explanation about "disassimilation"and the judgment about "human liberation" of the Classical Marxism literary criticism,turns Marcuse’s attention to criticize and discuss modernity;Hegel’s rational thoughts and Freud’s unconscious and instinctual theory apply the ways for Marcuse,which make "people" get rid of the trouble of "One-Dimensionality". Secondly,the paper explores the features of Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function:first,the function of generating "New-Sensibility ",it means the literature create "New-Sensibility "through Restoration of aesthetic appreciation; second,the literature criticize the real world by subversive language and revolutionary aesthetic form;third,the literature create "the art world"for achieving "human liberation".The third chapter of the paper,we summarize the significance of Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function:expend the boundary of art and aesthetic,and enhance the literature’s social influence.For easy to talk about the problem of Marcuse’s viewpoints of function,we classify the ways of understanding art and aesthetic as two types:the cognitive type and hedonic type.The former means the art "reappear"the real world,which specific to one existing world, such as realism.therefore,the latter means discussing art and aesthetic from whether the art create another real world point of view,which specific to two worlds:present world and art world,such as Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function. So we summarize the first significance of Marcuse’s viewpoints of literature function:expending the boundary of art and aesthetic.The second significance is based on the following:when we discussing the relationship of the literature and religion,politics,there are two extreme viewpoints of function:the literature is the "slave"of the region,or the "appendage" of the politics.Then,in the Marcuse’s theory,the literature become the only way to "human liberation",the function of the literature has been enhanced to an unprecedented height.In the new time,the material abundance extremely,all kinds of values are flooding, every people feels anxious,where wether the function of the literature is traditional function of teaching and entertainment.On the "human liberation’"s way,what the new responsibility the art and artist should take.These are problems which the paper want to arouse people thinking deeply.