Give arguments against the theory of impersonality.

Answer 1

The “theory of impersonality” (often associated with T.S. Eliot and New Criticism) argues that literature should be objective, detached, and free from the author’s personal emotions or biography. Several major criticisms are commonly raised against it:

1. It ignores the author’s lived experience

Human creativity is shaped by personal history, emotions, culture, and psychology. Critics argue that pretending an author’s feelings or background don’t matter oversimplifies how literature is actually created.

2. It reduces literature to a technical exercise

If writers must suppress emotion and personal expression, literature becomes mechanical rather than human. Many argue that emotional authenticity is essential to powerful writing.

3. Readers naturally interpret through emotion and context

Even if a writer tries to be impersonal, readers bring their own emotions, cultural background, and personal experiences to interpretation. Pure objectivity is impossible.

4. It dismisses important historical and social influences

The impersonality theory discourages considering:

1. the author’s time period
2. political context
3. cultural background
4. social conditions

These factors often shape meaning and cannot be ignored without losing depth.

5. It contradicts how many great writers actually work

Writers like Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Sylvia Plath, and many others explicitly use personal experience to create powerful literature. Their work challenges the idea that impersonality is necessary or even desirable.

6. It limits the emotional impact of literature

Art often resonates because it expresses human feeling. Critics argue that removing emotion weakens literature’s ability to move, challenge, or transform readers.