Seductive Reasoning: Pluralism as the Problematic of Contemporary Literary Theory

by Ellen Rooney

Seductive Reasoning takes a provocative look at contemporary Anglo-American literary theory, calling into question the critical consensus on pluralism's nature and its status in literary studies. Drawing on the insights of Marxist and feminist critical theory and on the works of Althusser, Derrida, and Foucault, Rooney reads the pluralist’s invitation to join in a "dialogue" as a seductive gesture. Critics who respond find that they must seek to persuade all of their potential readers. Rooney examines pluralism as a form of logic in the work of E. D. Hirsch, as a form of ethics for Wayne Booth, as a rhetoric of persuasion in the books of Stanley Fish. For Paul de Man, Rooney argues, pluralism was a rhetoric of tropes just as it was, for Fredric Jameson, a form of politics.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2016

About the author

I’m an illustrator, designer, and artist. I’m from the state of Massachusetts, but I now live in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

I love graphic shapes, textured colour, creating an atmosphere, and telling a story with pictures. As a designer, I love finding order and structure in information and making it attractive, clear, and beautiful with images, colors, and typography.

I’m lucky to work with great publishers like Page Street Kids, Orca Book Publishers, Kids Can Press, Sasquatch Books, Owlkids Books, and Candlewick.