The new edition of this core text has been thoroughly revised and updated in light of the latest developments in the field. Covering the key theoretical approaches in modern literary theory, the text includes those essays and documents that are essential reading for students of literature and critical theory. The original structure of the book has been improved and new material has been added, including extracts from the writings of Marx, Freud, and de Beauvoir, and a new section devoted to contemporary critical debates and issues.