ABSTRACT
Surveying the current state of literary theory in the space of a single essay can only be like taking a snapshot, and hence a great deal is liable to be left out. But perhaps it is best to begin with the fact that, for all the current discontent regarding theory, there is still much interest in methods of interpretation. From New Criticism right through to Deconstruction, this interest remains comparatively constant in spite of shifting preferences. Some methods find favor relatively swiftly, but this does not save them from an equally swift waning of their attraction, as is the case with Deconstruction, whose dominance is already fading in America. Its importance is due not least to its em phasis on textuality-a commitment firmly established by the New Critical practice of interpretation. Herein lies its structural kinship to New Criticism, for both approaches stress close reading-and indeed prominent advocates of Deconstruction have actually described it as the closest of close reading. Scrutinizing the text, then, is their common feature-irrespective of noticeable differences in execution-and so they take the text as something given, to be focused upon from different angles. These, in turn, are conditioned by cultural requirements and hence are subject to change.
