The Age of Interpretation

Abstract

By mid-century not only was New Criticism the dominant mode of literary study, but criticism had become institutionalised in the universities. The new subject was growing fast — often at the expense of classics, philosophy and modern languages — within an educational system itself undergoing rapid expansion. In the United States, there was a dramatic rise in the proportion of the eligible population going to college, from 4 per cent in 1900 to 14 per cent in 1940 and then to 40 per cent in 1964.¹ Universities and colleges became the largest employers in many towns and cities, bringing with them a body of literature teachers who were expected to be active as critics and scholars. Literary research leading to the PhD was the main qualification for entry into the profession, and, once employed, most teachers were encouraged to publish regularly. The production of criticism and the range of its outlets in books and journals grew apace.