Influence and Values
Abstract
Another way to think about literature from the perspective of theory is that of literary influence and values. Literary influence can cause a writer considerable “anxiety,” according to Harold Bloom, whose The Anxiety of Influence describes how later writers wrestle with precursors, trying to overcome their influence through metaphorically “killing them off.” Bloom argues that a writer breaks free of powerful precursors by rewriting their works anew, deliberately “misreading” them, and, in the process, “correcting” the earlier literary masters.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Literary Theory and Cultural Hermeneutics
Contemporary Literature and Criticism
Modernist Literature and Criticism
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 230–232
- Publication date
- 11 March 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter