History Reclaimed: Strategies of Reading and Interpretation in New Historicism

Abstract

#This paper discusses the emergence and significance of New Historicism as a response to the text-only approach of formalists and new critics. New Historicism brings historical considerations to the forefront of literary analysis and emphasizes the parallel reading of literary and non-literary texts from the same time period. It views these texts as constituents of historical discourses and explores the connections among texts, discourses, power, and the constitution of the subject. The rise of New Historicism can be seen as a natural progression following the decline of the New Criticism and the dominance of post-structuralism. Stephen Greenblatt, a prominent English professor at Berkeley, is considered the progenitor of New Historicism. He coined the term "New Historicism" to describe his method of interpreting Renaissance texts and the approach adopted by other writers in this field. However, Greenblatt himself prefers the term "cultural poetics" over New Historicism. The article also discusses Greenblatt's distinction between wonder and resonance, with resonance being the preferred concept associated with cultural vibration and textual significance. While some critics have raised concerns about New Historicism reducing literature to a footnote of history or lacking a theory of history, it remains a significant development in literary studies and provides an alternative to post-structuralist approaches.