André Breton: Literary Surrealism within the Field of Cultural Production
Mark Jones
Abstract
The literary texts of André Breton have been a great influence upon society and contemporary cultural thought, despite their tentative reception in Paris during the 1920s. The innovative, automatic writing style which Breton developed in order to disseminate his Surrealist theories and philosophies, coupled with a hardened aesthetic sensibility for design, make Breton’s published works an important area of discourse within contemporary book history studies. Furthermore, his work encompasses many areas of exploration, including the visual arts and humanities, sociology, science, politics and economics. Despite the many flaws in Breton’s concepts, Surrealism as a literary movement has matured into an important field within the confines of reader reception theories and hermeneutics. The sociological foundations, when analyzed through the philosophies of influential twentieth century thinkers such as Pierre Bourdieu and Wolfgang Iser, help to explore the core factors which enabled Breton to conceive the Surrealist movement.
André Breton: Literary Surrealism within the Field of Cultural Production
Mark Jones
Abstract
The literary texts of André Breton have been a great influence upon society and contemporary cultural thought, despite their tentative reception in Paris during the 1920s. The innovative, automatic writing style which Breton developed in order to disseminate his Surrealist theories and philosophies, coupled with a hardened aesthetic sensibility for design, make Breton’s published works an important area of discourse within contemporary book history studies. Furthermore, his work encompasses many areas of exploration, including the visual arts and humanities, sociology, science, politics and economics. Despite the many flaws in Breton’s concepts, Surrealism as a literary movement has matured into an important field within the confines of reader reception theories and hermeneutics. The sociological foundations, when analyzed through the philosophies of influential twentieth century thinkers such as Pierre Bourdieu and Wolfgang Iser, help to explore the core factors which enabled Breton to conceive the Surrealist movement.
