Forms at Work

Since the beginning of the 20th century, formalism has had a venerable tradition in literary studies. A notable upsweep of interest in, proposed approaches to, and scholarly debates about form and new formalist methods in the study of literature and culture has been evident in recent years. New formalist perspectives offer intriguing analytical possibilities that move beyond focusing solely on the formal features of texts to also consider contextual relations. This volume explores the horizons and heuristic potential opened up by new formalisms of the 21st century that focus on the cultural work of form. It aims to put the conceptual and analytical potentials offered by new formalist approaches on display as well as under scrutiny. Its articles present critical new-formalist examinations of early modern, Victorian, modern and contemporary Anglo-American literature as well as a television series, films, and a graphic novel. With these case-study analyses, the volume demonstrates the wide-ranging applicability of a renewed and growing field in the study of literary and culture.