Michael Ryan's Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction, Second Edition introduces students to the full range of contemporary approaches to the study of literature and culture, from Formalism, Structuralism, and Historicism to Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, and Global English. * Introduces readings from a variety of theoretical perspectives, on classic literary texts. * Demonstrates how the varying perspectives on texts can lead to different interpretations of the same work. * Contains an accessible account of different theoretical approaches * An ideal resource for use in introductory courses on literary theory and criticism. * Designed to function both as a stand-alone text and a companion to Rivkin and Ryan's Literary Theory: An Anthology, Second Edition.