Literary Theory

Correct Answer: 2. Immanuel Levinas

Detailed Explanation:

The concept of "trace" as referring to the trace of the Other is originally developed in the ethical philosophy of Immanuel Levinas, and this is the version that influenced Jacques Lacan and also Jacques Derrida in different ways.

Levinas used the term trace to describe the irreducible presence of the Other, which cannot be fully grasped or reduced to the self’s categories.





The trace indicates the ethical responsibility that arises in the face of the Other, who leaves a mark or absence that cannot be contained within the self's consciousness.





While Jacques Derrida also elaborates the concept of trace in a deconstructive context (especially in Of Grammatology), his version focuses more on language, différance, and the impossibility of full presence, rather than the ethical Other central to Levinas.

Jacques Lacan, influenced by both Levinas and Derrida, incorporated the notion of the trace of the Other in his psychoanalytic theory—especially in discussing the Symbolic Order, the unconscious as structured like a language, and the Other (Autre) as a locus of desire and meaning.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Jacques Derrida – Although Derrida developed a significant concept of trace in relation to writing, différance, and deconstruction, Lacan’s specific usage of trace as the trace of the Other comes primarily from Levinas’s ethics, not Derrida.

3. Sigmund Freud – Freud’s psychoanalysis influenced Lacan deeply, but Freud did not use the term "trace" in this ethical or philosophical sense, though he did refer to memory traces (Nachträglichkeit).

4. Christopher Norris – A literary theorist and critic known for writing on deconstruction and postmodernism, but not a source of the original concept of the trace.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question is crucial for aspirants of UGC NET English, especially those studying critical theory, psychoanalysis, and poststructuralism. Recognizing how Lacan draws from Levinas’s ethical idea of the "trace of the Other" adds depth to your understanding of the unconscious, subjectivity, and language in literary texts. Moreover, the question highlights the interconnectedness of philosophical and psychoanalytic thought, which is a frequent theme in the exam’s theoretical section. Knowing these nuanced influences equips you to handle complex questions on literary and cultural theory with greater confidence.

Correct Answer: 3. Jacques Derrida

Detailed Explanation:

The term "remainder" was first meaningfully theorized and employed in philosophical and literary discourse by Jacques Derrida, particularly in the context of deconstruction.

In Derrida’s thought, the "remainder" refers to what is left over or left out in any attempt at totalization, closure, or binary opposition. It’s part of his broader critique of presence, meaning, and structural hierarchies in Western metaphysics. The "remainder" points to:

What resists final interpretation





What escapes binary logic (like speech/writing, center/margin)





What haunts the structure, even as it’s repressed





In works such as Dissemination, Of Grammatology, and Margins of Philosophy, Derrida uses the idea of the "remainder" to expose the instability of meaning and how texts always carry excesses or residues that cannot be fully assimilated into formal systems or logic.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Giorgio Agamben – Agamben has discussed “remnants” (e.g., Remnants of Auschwitz) and bare life in political philosophy, but these came decades after Derrida, and his usage is tied to biopolitics and sovereignty, not deconstructive textuality.

2. Guy Debord – A Marxist theorist and filmmaker associated with Situationist International, known for The Society of the Spectacle—he never theorized the term “remainder” in Derrida’s sense.

4. Jürgen Habermas – A German philosopher focused on communicative rationality, public sphere, and critical theory, Habermas did not develop or use "remainder" as a philosophical tool in his framework.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

Understanding Derrida’s concept of the “remainder” is essential for mastering deconstruction and poststructuralist theory, core areas in UGC NET English. The remainder represents what cannot be contained by binary oppositions or totalized meaning, a key insight when analyzing texts, metaphors, silences, and margins. Mastery of such nuanced terms not only aids in solving MCQs but also enhances your ability to approach critical essays and literary analysis with deeper philosophical insight.

Correct Answer: 1. Mikhail Bakhtin

Detailed Explanation:

The term “Chronotope” (from the Greek chronos = time, topos = space) was coined by Mikhail Bakhtin, a Russian philosopher and literary theorist, in his essay “Forms of Time and of the Chronotope in the Novel” (found in The Dialogic Imagination).

Bakhtin defines the chronotope as the intrinsic connectedness of temporal and spatial relationships in literature. In other words, it is how time and space are represented and structured within a narrative.

Key Points:

Different genres and narrative styles exhibit different chronotopes (e.g., the “road chronotope” in picaresque novels, the “castle chronotope” in Gothic novels).

The chronotope shapes how characters move, how events unfold, and how meaning is constructed in a text.

It is crucial for understanding how literature reflects the ideological and historical context in which it is produced.





Bakhtin’s chronotope allows critics to explore how literary form is historically grounded, linking narrative structures to cultural and social experience.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

2. Stephen Greenblatt – Founder of New Historicism, he focused on the cultural context of literary texts, but did not coin or use the term “chronotope.”

3. Bertolt Brecht – A playwright and theatre theorist known for epic theatre and the alienation effect, but not involved in narratology or spatial-temporal theory in fiction.

4. J. Hillis Miller – An American deconstructionist critic influenced by Derrida, focused more on language, interpretation, and literary theory, not on time-space structures like the chronotope.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

Understanding Bakhtin’s concept of the chronotope is essential for engaging with narrative theory and cultural criticism, both central to the UGC NET English syllabus. The chronotope helps explain how form, genre, and meaning are historically and socially grounded, especially in the novel. It is a critical tool for examining how literature shapes and is shaped by the world, making it invaluable for analyzing prose fiction, genre evolution, and ideological framing in texts.

Correct Answer: 2. "What is an Author"

Detailed Explanation:

The line:

"The 'notion of author' constitutes the privileged moment of individualization in the history of ideas, knowledge, literature, philosophy and the sciences."

appears in Michel Foucault’s influential 1969 essay “What is an Author?” (Qu'est-ce qu'un auteur?). In this work, Foucault critiques the traditional concept of authorship and explores how the "author-function" operates within discourse.

Foucault argues that:

The "author" is not just a person but a function of discourse.

This author-function emerged at a particular historical moment to regulate meaning, ownership, and interpretation.

The concept of the author serves as a means of classifying, organizing, and controlling texts, particularly in the disciplines of literature, philosophy, and science.





This essay forms a critical response to Roland Barthes’s earlier piece, “The Death of the Author”, but instead of simply announcing the author’s disappearance, Foucault redefines the author's role as an institutional and discursive function.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. "The Death of the Author" – Written by Roland Barthes, this 1967 essay declares the end of authorial authority, focusing on how readers, not authors, produce meaning—but it does not contain this specific quote.

3. "Heirs of the Living Body" – This is not a known theoretical or critical essay in literary studies; likely a distractor or incorrect title.

4. "What is New Formalism" – New Formalism refers to a contemporary movement in poetry and literary criticism, but this title is not associated with Foucault or the quote in question.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question is central to understanding authorial theory and poststructuralist criticism, especially in the context of Michel Foucault's contribution to literary theory. For UGC NET English aspirants, distinguishing between Barthes's reader-centered approach and Foucault's institutional critique of authorship is essential. The idea that the "author" is a cultural construct rather than an origin of meaning challenges traditional modes of literary interpretation and aligns with broader theoretical movements in discourse analysis, deconstruction, and cultural studies. Understanding this helps students engage critically with questions of textuality, meaning, and authorship in both objective and analytical sections of the exam.

Correct Answer: 4. Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari

Detailed Explanation:

The term “Territorialization” was introduced and developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, primarily in their collaborative works such as:

Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia (1972)

A Thousand Plateaus (1980)





In their theory, “territorialization” refers to the process by which space, identity, or meaning is stabilized and defined—whether socially, politically, culturally, or psychically.

They describe three related concepts:

Territorialization – The process of establishing order or coding a space or system (e.g., through identity, laws, language).

Deterritorialization – The process of breaking down or disrupting established orders or systems.

Reterritorialization – The reformation or reconstruction of new codes and identities after deterritorialization.





These concepts are used to analyze everything from capitalist structures to cultural formations and subjectivity.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Gayatri C. Spivak – Known for postcolonial theory and subaltern studies (e.g., Can the Subaltern Speak?), but not the originator of the term territorialization.

2. Edward Said – Author of Orientalism and a major postcolonial critic, but did not use or coin the term “territorialization” in a theoretical framework.

3. John Macleod – A scholar who has written about postcolonialism (e.g., Beginning Postcolonialism), but uses the term territorialization drawing from Deleuze and Guattari, not as its originator.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

Understanding “territorialization” and its related concepts is vital for students preparing for UGC NET English, particularly in literary theory, poststructuralism, and cultural studies. Deleuze and Guattari’s ideas provide powerful tools to analyze identity, space, resistance, and cultural coding in literature and society. These concepts frequently appear in the context of postcolonial literature, diasporic narratives, and critiques of nationalism, making them essential for advanced literary analysis and critical theory questions in the exam.