文学理论的未来或者“走向”,取决于文学的未来。文学理论跟“理论物理”差不多,是一种次级的从属性学科。文学理论是附属性的。它像是文学研究本身的女仆帮手,就像理论物理要依赖由真正的物理学家所收集的经验数据一样。不过,只要文学继续存在,对不同社会和社会中的个人具有重要性,人们就需要文学理论。即使文学在某个特定社会中不再重要,尤其是在媒体一统天下的时代,就像今天所发生的那样,人们仍然有理由主张,至少是在西方社会,文学理论继续需要存在下去,以发挥其阐释过去文学的作用。我们将仍然需要文学理论,只不过目的更多的是为了思古,也就是为了促进理解过去几个世纪的文学。在退隐得越来越远的那些世纪里,文学在公民的塑造过程中保有着造就文化和个体的中心作用。比如,维多利亚时期的小说在维多利亚时期的英格兰就曾发挥那种作 The future or “trend” of literary theory depends on the future of literature. Literary theory is similar to “theoretical physics” and is a subordinate subordinate discipline. Literary theory is subsidiary. It is like a maid helper in literary studies, just as theoretical physics relies on empirical data collected by real physicists. However, as long as literature continues to exist and is important to individuals in different societies and societies, one needs literary theory. Even though literature is no longer important in a particular society, especially in an era of media domination, as it happens today, there is still reason to argue that, at least in Western societies, literary theory continues to need to exist to play It explains the role of past literature. We will still need literary theory, except that the purpose is more to think of ancient things, that is, to promote the understanding of the literature of the past centuries. In those centuries that have receded further and further, literature retains the central role of creating culture and individuality in shaping the citizens. For example, Victorian novels played that kind of work in England during the Victorian era