Lucian Goldmann’s Genetic Structuralism in the field of French Criticism Summary

Abstract: Lucian Goldman’s Genetic Structuralism was not met with much and good acclaim in French criticism, especially in modern times, despite the good reception at its beginnings. There are no independent books covering his theory deeply and comprehensively. No study covers the way Goldmann dealt with poetry. Studies concentrate on the novel criticism. From a receptionist point of view of Hans Robert Jauss, the present paper covers the way French critics the sociology of literature or, as Goldmann called it, the (Genetic Structuralism).

The study covers the responses to his theory since the 1960s and after. He responded methodologically to the readers of his theoretical and practical studies as well as his parameters of criticism. The study covers the critic’s books, writings, articles (practical and theoretical), modern and old French books dealing with his theory. All this is to be dealt with according to six points:

- Philosophical origins of the theory.

- Principles of literary analysis and shifting the literary system to a conceptual one in Goldmann’s view.

- The relation of the literary work to reality (great works-simple works).

- The problem of procedure development or procedure stability.

- Ways of text analysis (comprehension and explication).

- Barthes’s vie about meaning criticism based on its « polysémie » and « monosémie ».

These six points are covered according to Goldmann’s literary and mental examples: Pascal’s ideas, the novels of Malraux and Alain Robbe-Grillet – the theatre of Racine and Genet.