The (Non) Specific in Literary Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This paper aims to problematize some of Dominique Maingueneau’s lines of argument about the constitution of a theoretical and methodological device to study literature from a discursive perspective. To this end, we drew from the comparison of his theses using founding assumptions of French discourse analysis and contemporary propositions of literary studies. On the one hand, Maingueneau’s proposal represents an important systematization of guiding conceptions regarding the literary discourse. On the other hand, it is neutral concerning the need for an epistemological consideration given the specificity of literary discourse. Therefore, it risks a historical and social mischaracterization of literature.