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School of Resentment is a term coined by critic Harold…

“School of Resentment is a term coined by critic Harold Bloom to describe related schools of literary criticism which have gained prominence in academia since the 1970s and which Bloom contends are preoccupied with political and social activism at the expense of aesthetic values.[1] Broadly, Bloom…” quote by Harold Bloom
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““School of Resentment is a term coined by critic Harold Bloom to describe related schools of literary criticism which have gained prominence in academia since the 1970s and which Bloom contends are preoccupied with political and social activism at the expense of aesthetic values.[1] Broadly, Bloom terms "Schools of Resentment" approaches associated with Marxist critical theory, including African American studies, Marxist literary criticism, New Historicist criticism, feminist criticism, and poststructuralism—specifically as promoted by Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault. The School of Resentment is usually defined as all scholars who wish to enlarge the Western canon by adding to it more works by authors from minority groups without regard to aesthetic merit and/or influence over time, or those who argue that some works commonly thought canonical promote sexist, racist or otherwise biased values and should therefore be removed from the canon. Bloom contends that the School of Resentment threatens the nature of the canon itself and may lead to its eventual demise. Philosopher Richard Rorty[2] agreed that Bloom is at least partly accurate in describing the School of Resentment, writing that those identified by Bloom do in fact routinely use "subversive, oppositional discourse" to attack the canon specifically and Western culture in general.””

Harold Bloom

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Bloom argues that certain literary critical schools prioritize political activism over aesthetic judgment, threatening the traditional canon.

In simple terms: Some critics focus on politics instead of art, risking the canon’s integrity.

Key Takeaway

Balance political insight with aesthetic evaluation.

Themes

literary criticism canon politics activism aesthetics

Mood

analytical critical thoughtful

Type

academic theoretical controversial

When to use this quote

  • University curricula
  • literary conferences
  • publishing decisions
  • canon debates

Key Concepts

Marxist theory poststructuralism feminist theory cultural studies

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we assess literary merit while acknowledging social context?
  • What criteria should guide canon inclusion?
A Different Perspective

Critics may overlook systemic biases that affect canon formation.

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