Conclusion: Fredric Jameson, the Novel and Contemporary Reading Practices

Abstract

This conclusion argues for broadening the general perception of Jameson within literary studies. As we continue to place Jameson within certain frameworks—Marxism, postmodernism, symptomatic reading, to name a few—we should seek to consider his larger career. Just as Jameson has worked to reframe theorists such as Georg Lukács throughout his work, the challenge for contemporary critics is to rethink Jameson’s theory. For Jameson to remain useful, we should define his career not only by its most famous moments, but also by the lengthy articulation of a wide subset of issues and ideas. This concluding chapter will argue that it is through paying attention to Jameson’s literary criticism, and the reflexivity found there, that we accentuate the continued opportunity for new kinds of engagement.