Northrop Frye and Critical Method

Frye's speculations about literature raise the right questions, this book argues. "Even when his answers are unsatisfactory or unconvincing," says Dr. Denham, "the additional questions he forces us to ask are never trivial." This book goes beyond what others have said about Northrop Frye by placing the details of his arguments—and the question he raises—in the context of his total view of literature and criticism.

The first systematic and comprehensive analysis of Frye's work, this book examines each of its areas: his theoretical, his practical, and his cultural or social criticism. The first four chapters trace the argument of Frye's Anatomy of Criticism—generally viewed as the most important work of critical theory in our time—with emphasis on his theories of modes, symbols, myths, and genres. Chapter 5 examines Frye's ideas about critics and literary autonomy, the scientific nature of criticism, value judgments, and the social function of the critic. Chapter 6 shows how Frye puts his theories to work; it includes analyses of his practical, historical, and social criticism. The final chapter is a judgment of the powers and limitations of Frye's entire critical position.

Because Frye is a schematic thinker, the book includes a number of charts designed to guide readers through the patterns of his thought. Few critics could have made these charts "with such painstaking delicacy," in the words of one manuscript reviewer," and Mr. Denham is the first who has analyzed Frye's work well enough to make his maps convincing."

Frye's critical theory is complex and subtle, forever moving outward from the literary work into a broad series of contexts. "It is like a Gothic cathedral," says the author of this book, so understanding the mind of the architect enhances one's appreciation of the structure.