Re-defining the Notion of the Text in Literary Theory

Re-defining the Notion of the Text in Literary Theory Dr. Amin Ali Al-Solel  Abstract The notion of the text has undergone a complex, plentiful and sometimes perplexed changes in the 20th century due to the unprecedented diversity and complexity of reading literature, which raises issues about subjectivity, gender, nationality, ideology, institutions and historical periods. It was Ronald Barthes, in his controversial article “From Work to Text”, who opened the gate for new perspectives and understandings of the text. The present paper sums up the definitions and redefinitions of the notion of the ‘text' in the modern literary theory. Key Words: text, work, formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, new historicism, reception theory