Emblem of ruin

This article assesses the place of allegory in a literary field influenced by weak theory. As an ancient form of expression that encrypts ulterior meanings, allegory requires claims that would seem to supersede the restricted and descriptive methods of contemporary criticism. Drawing from the oeuvre of Walter Benjamin and setting it to work through the art collection of the Hollywood icon Mary Pickford, I argue that allegory’s respect for deterioration can actually support the restrictedness of critical claims, and that its image of ruin provides a strong emblem for weak theory

Allegory · Art · Art history · Criticism · Emblem · Icon · Literature · Cinema and Media Studies · Computer Science · Contemporary Literature and Criticism · Philosophy · Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism