Hassan Zokhtareh
Abstract
Introduction: This article regards Antoine Compagnon as the embodiment of a movement that imbues literature with utility in the contemporary context. In his inaugural lecture, titled "What is Literature for?" delivered at the esteemed Collège de France, Compagnon argues that the era of inquiries ...
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Introduction: This article regards Antoine Compagnon as the embodiment of a movement that imbues literature with utility in the contemporary context. In his inaugural lecture, titled "What is Literature for?" delivered at the esteemed Collège de France, Compagnon argues that the era of inquiries such as "What is literature?" has faded, giving way to a more essential question: "Why and how should we approach literature?". The transition from an essentialist approach to a pragmatic one serves as evidence of the current crisis afflicting literature and literary studies in universities, resulting in a multitude of works published in France since the year 2005. These writings can be grouped into two categories: on one hand, the essays that support the devaluation, decline, or even death of literature, and on the other hand, those who believe in the dynamism and rebirth of contemporary literature, seeking to enumerate its functions and utilitiesBackground of study: This study is part of our ongoing postdoctoral research conducted in 2021 at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, which addresses the crisis of contemporary literature and has led to the writing of several articles. The first article, titled "Investigating Declinism in Contemporary French Literature" (2021), examines the threats faced by contemporary literature in terms of economic, political, cultural, and technological aspects. The second article, co-written with Martine Boyer-Weinmann and titled "A Study of Literary Success in the Contemporary Media Age Case Study: She and He by Marc Levy" (2022), aims to understand the connections between contemporary popular literature and other forms of expression, particularly digital media. We have also published a book review and an article in Persian on Alexandre Gefen's work, "The Idea of Literature. From Art for Art’s Sake to Writings That Intervene" (2021), adopting an analytical and critical approach. This book review was published in the French journal Questions de communication (2021). The Persian article, titled "A Critique on the Book The Idea of Literature. From ‘Art for Art’s Sake’ to Writings That Intervene" (2021), provides a detailed presentation of Gefen's theoretical essay, emphasizing his expanded vision of literature. Furthermore, we have written two Persian reviews, published in 2018, on the following works: "Literature at risk" (2007) by Todorov and "The Farewell to Literature" (2005) by William Marx. To our knowledge, no comparative study has been conducted in France or Iran on the notion of useful literature in the essays published in France regarding the decline or functions of contemporary French literature. This has precisely motivated us to write the present article.Methodology: This article, based on an analytical and comparative approach, aims to present Compagnon's essay, highlighting in particular the concept of useful literature that emerges from it. Additionally, it aims to compare Compagnon's ideas with other contemporary writings, including those of Gefen, Citton, Maingueneau, Schaffer, Meizoz, and Marx. Conclusion: This critical analysis sheds light on the fact that, despite its alluring title, Compagnon's work falls short of fulfilling its aims. Despite his belief in literature as discourse, it nonetheless presents a limited understanding of literature on various levels.