The Mutations of Literary Interpretation: A History of Change from Hermeneutics to Cyberspace

Abstract

Interpretation is a foundational aspect of human cognition as it entails the act of (re)assigning meaning to utterances, objects, events, etc. In the field of literature, theories of criticism have devoted a great deal of attention and effort to explore the most efficient ways of approaching texts and extracting their meanings. Despite the plethora of scholarly publications and academic traning, offering a wealth of knowledge, undergraduate students oftrn seem in need of further broadening their interpretive capacities. Hence, it remains necessary to readdress the issue of variety and change in terms of the perspectives and methods employed in analysis and critique. By tracing the main turning points in the conceptualisation of literary interpretation, from the medieval age to the contemporary era, the present paper attempts to provide a simplified account of its evolution while emphasizing its dynamic nature. Several alterations, in the view and practice of interpretation, occured as a result of changing intellectual and sociopolitical circumstances. Understanding that each of the mutations re-define and re-appropriate the position of the interpreter vis-à-vis the literary text is an important step in the students’ development of their own interpretive horizons