Theoretical Study Of Literary Classics Harold Bloom

Harold Bloom (1930-) is a famous contemporary literature professor, literary theorist andcritic in America. He has taught at Yale University, New York University, Harvard Universityand other famous universities. He has abundant works, among which the representatives are"The Anxiety of Influence"," A Map of Misreading ","The Western Canon","How to Read andWhy" and so on. He is hailed as the most talented, most original and the most provocativeliterary critic in Western tradition by Mark Edmund for his theoretical construction and criticalpractice. Bloom’s theory of literature can be divided into four phases: romantic poetry criticismin the1960s, poetry confrontational theoretical studies in the1970s, religious studies in the1980s and literary studies since the1990s. Among them, the Western Conon Literature Conceptfocusing on aesthetic value presented by him plays an important role in transferring literarystudies to the self and returning the cultural studies to literary studies. Bloom is one of theearliest scholars who concerned about the problem of literary canon and it has been mentioned inthe poetry of the1970s science theories. Later on, the major classics are formed in the article of"Criticism, Canonical structures and Predictions" in1988. However, the true canons of Westernliterature are fully explained in the book "the Western Canon" which was published in1994. Hisbook has aroused great repercussions upon publication and become a very important voice inclassic debate. Bloom stresses on literary aesthetics and reveals the inner mysteries of literarycanon through the interpretation of twenty-six Western canon writers. In the "How to Read andWhy", he explained the purpose and methods of canon reading, extending the concept of literarycanon from ontological perspective to the reading of canon.The thesis is divided into the following sections:IntroductionThe proposal of literary canon concept by Harold Bloom is mainly involved in "TheWestern Canon" and "How to Read and Why ". There are a large number of papers in Chinainvolved in literary canon concept, but most of them only focus on the ontology terms of literarycanon concept. The canon ontology embodies the elitist stance of Bloom, it specifies thedefinition and the quality of canon. However, the concept of canon reading involved in "How toRead and Why " is an extension of the literary classic concept, and it embodies methodologicalproblems of canon reading and the meaning and purpose of reading. It shows that Bloom tried toget close to the public reading and rely on the strength of ordinary readers to defend the literarycanon instead of the elitists.First, the background and theoretical origins of the literary canon view. Harold Bloom respected personal power and emotional experience, which is a core element of the Americanspirit. It can be said that the common values of American society constitutes the background ofBloom’s literary canon concept. At the end of20th century, cultural studies and cultural criticismmakes the aesthetic qualities neglected, which is the cultural background of the literary canonview. Literary canon concept emerged in succession and competition, and has a natural kinshipwith Romanticism, the anxiety of influence theory and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. The earlyRomantic Poetics research laid theoretical foundation for the view of literary canon; the anxietyof influence theory has guiding significance for history of literature canon and canon ofinterpretation; Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and Bloom’s literary canon concept is a competitiverelationship, which provides theoretical drive for the proposal of canon viewpoint.Second, Harold Bloom’s literary canon ontology view. In The Western Canon, Bloomconstructed a huge literary canon network. The history of literature is divided into aristocratic era,the democratic era, and the era of chaos with a three-stage theory of Vico. In this network,aesthetic autonomy, strangeness, competitiveness, etc. constitute the ontological canonicalliterature. He believes that the aesthetic is a fundamental attribute of literature. Only aestheticforces can enter the field of literature. Any reading or criticism with is digestion of canonand demeaning for literature.Third, Harold Bloom’s canon View of reading. In How to Read and Why, Bloom citednumerous examples and samples to demonstrate how to read and why read. How to read is aquestion of methodology of reading. Bloom proposes five principles of reading. First, removethe minds of hypocrisy words, maintaining the freedom of imagination. Second, do not try toread through what or how you read to improve your neighbor or your neighborhood. Third, youshould isolate moral political and other constraints for reading. Fourth, we must be good atreading. Fifth, retrieve irony.Why read refers to reading motivation, which is about the reason,meaning and purpose of reading. But how to read and why read is interrelated, how to readalways points out the motivation and application of reading. There are two contradictions inBloom’s theory, one contradiction is that "personal" reading can not avoid the impact of society,the other is to adhere elitist stance, but writing for the general public. Eventually, the twocontradictions are reconciled, united in the defense of the canon of literature and the clarificationof the aesthetic value of literature.Fourth, the practical significance and value of literary canon view. Since the1990s, for thereality of the gradually marginalization of literary canon, Bloom proposed the literary canonview, and thus proposed the canon view of reading for the general readers with his elite readingexperience as a carrier. This is unique in the contemporary theory and is valuable for building the history of literature and revaluating literary tradition. He stressed on the essential attribute ofliterary aesthetic, resolutely defended the authority of the literary canon, and shed profound lighton Chinese literary criticism with his academic attitude that does not follow the flow.Epilogue. Harold Bloom, as a literary classic defender and warden, has been activelyfighting with the new criticism, deconstruction, School of Resentment, and "Harry Potter"literature. In the modern era, facing the impact of web culture, literature faces more severechallenges. Thus, it is still necessary to think over how to defend literary canon.