The defenses, anxiety, and core issues

this book can be used as the only text in a course or as a precursor to (or in tan‑ dem with) critical theory anthologies. Each chapter has grown out of classroom practice, has been thoroughly field tested, and has demonstrated its capacity to motivate students by showing them what critical theory can offer, not only in terms of their practical understanding of literary texts, but also in terms of their personal understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. In a very real sense, this textbook is a “how‑to” manual for readers who will probably come to their study of theory with some anxiety, whether they are first‑year theory students or college professors who wish to familiarize themselves with theoretical perspectives with which they have not yet become thoroughly acquainted. Chapters are sequenced for a specific pedagogical purpose: to demonstrate how critical theories both argue and overlap with one another, sometimes overturn‑ ing, sometimes building on the insights of competing theories. Nevertheless, each chapter is self‑explanatory and was written to stand on its own. Therefore, this textbook can be customized to fit your own instructional needs by assign‑ ing the chapters in any order you choose; by eliminating some chapters entirely; or by assigning only certain sections of particular chapters, for which purpose chapter subtitles should prove helpful. Similarly, the “Questions for Further Practice” (which follow each reading of The Great Gatsby and can serve as paper topics) encourage students to apply each theory to other well‑known, frequently anthologized literary works, but you can have your students apply these ques‑ tions to any works you select. However you choose to use Critical Theory Today, I hope you will agree that critical theory is a bus our students have every reason to climb aboard. And if this book does its job, they will even enjoy the ride.

Acknowledgments

My most sincere thanks go to the following friends and colleagues for their help‑ ful suggestions and moral support: Hannah Berkowitz, Bertrand Bickersteth, Pat Bloem, Kathleen Blumreich, Linda Chown, Gretchen Cline, Diane Grif‑ fin Crowder, Michelle DeRose, Milt Ford, David Greetham, Chance Guyette, Michael Hartnett, Alan Hausman, Roseanne Hoefel, Bill Hoffman, Jay Hul‑ lett, Howard Kahane, Stephen Lacey, James Lindesay, Rosalind Srb Mayberry, Corinne McLeod, Scott Minar, Joanie Pearlman, James Phelan, Rob Rozema, Sue William Silverman, Veta Smith Tucker, Jill Van Antwerp, Megan Ward, Brian White, and Sharon Whitehill. Special thanks also go to Grand Valley State University for its generous finan‑ cial support of this project—especially to Dean Fred Antczak; the late Dean Forrest Armstrong; Jo Miller; and Nancy Raymond of the GVSU Interlibrary Loan Department. At Routledge Press, I am gratefully indebted to Matthew Byrnie for his invaluable advice and support throughout this project, to Fred Veith for his prompt and gracious assistance, and to Robert Sims for his patient guidance through the labyrinth of production. Fond gratitude is still offered to Phyllis Korper, formerly of Garland Press, for her unflagging enthusiasm for the first edition. Finally, the deepest gratitude is expressed to Mac Davis, the only braveheart who read every word of every draft of every chapter of the first edition as well as all the new material added to the second edition. Your unflagging support will never be forgotten.