What is literary theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is literature, and does it matter? These are among the questions addressed by the author of this book, which aims to throw light on a subject often perceived to be complex and impenetrable. The book offers insights into theories about the nature of language and meaning, and whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience, and it outlines the ideas behind a number of different schools, including deconstruction, semiotics, postcolonial theory, and structuralism.