Literature Relived: 21st Century Literary Research Paradigms Amidst the 4IR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i19.4830Abstract
Literary works, in the words of Terry Eagleton (1996), are vehicles for ideas, a reflection of social reality and the incarnation of some transcendental truth. Works of literature also contain a structure of values which informs and underlies our factual statements, described also as the ways in which what we say and believe connects with the power structure and power-relations of the society we live in. In the 21st century, works of literature still comprise modes of feeling, valuing, perceiving and believing which have some kind of relation to the maintenance and reproduction of social power, more so in the wake of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). In my paper, I focus on my own research by presenting a case study in order to demonstrate that 21st century literary research paradigms can indeed survive the 4IR. Finally, I will share my thoughts on how it has indeed been possible to mount a literary contestation to the 4IR: through focusing on the Malaysian National Culture Policy as its backdrop, namely to foster and preserve national identity created through national culture as it is also highly possible to foster and preserve national identity created through works of literature which contain elements of national culture.
Keywords: Anthony Burgess, collective memory studies, Malaysian National Culture Policy, Muslim Malay characters, nation-building, national identity, The Malayan trilogy.
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