The object of literary theory is literature and literary activities.
Literature is a kind of language art, which is ideological and aesthetic.
Literary activity is a multi-link activity composed of life, writers, works and readers.
Writers are the main body of literary creation, and convey their unique aesthetic experience of the world to readers through their works.
Social life is the source of literature, and what kind of environment writers and readers are in has an important influence on them.
Literary works are the intermediary between readers and writers, and the presentation of writers' essential strength. Poetry, novel, drama and prose poetry are the basic genres of China literature.
Readers and critics are recipients, appreciators and re-creators of literature, and readers and authors communicate through their works.
Literary theory, as a theoretical discipline, is not created out of thin air, nor is it invented by individual theorists. It is summed up from long-term and diverse literary practice and has distinct practicality.
Literary theory is humanistic.
Literary theory is also scientific.
2. Research methods and branches of literary theory.
What is the research method of literary theory?
Literary theory should adhere to the world outlook and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, absorb and draw lessons from all scientific literary research methods, comprehensively, historically and dialectically analyze literary phenomena, and grasp the laws of literary creation, literary criticism and literary acceptance.