Exploding English: Criticism, Theory, Culture

Literary critic and English teacher, Bernard Bergonzi, examines the state of contemporary English studies. He discusses the developments and changes seen in the United States and England since 1959, including the impact of the Thatcherite transformation of the academy on traditional practices, and the influence of the "rainbow coalition," comprising poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, and feminism. Drawing on recent critical theory, intellectual history, and the sociology of knowledge, the book provides valuable insights into the field, and offers some positive suggestions about future developments.