John Fletcher (literary theorist)

John Fletcher (1934-1992) was a British literary theorist known for his contributions to psychoanalytic literary criticism, particularly his work on the application of Lacanian theory to literature and film.

Fletcher was a prominent figure in the development of British Screen theory in the 1970s and 1980s, influencing a generation of scholars interested in the intersection of psychoanalysis, feminism, and film studies. He was a lecturer in English at the University of Warwick for many years.

His scholarship focused on key Lacanian concepts such as the mirror stage, the Oedipus complex, and the role of the Symbolic Order in shaping subjectivity. He sought to demonstrate how these concepts could be utilized to analyze literary texts and cinematic representations, revealing the unconscious desires, anxieties, and power dynamics at play.

Fletcher's writings often engaged with issues of gender and sexuality, exploring how dominant ideologies construct and regulate these categories. He was particularly interested in the ways in which psychoanalysis could illuminate the construction of masculinity and the representation of female subjectivity in literature and film.

Key contributions and concepts associated with Fletcher's work include:

• Lacanian psychoanalysis and its application to literature and film: Fletcher played a key role in introducing Lacanian theory to English-speaking literary and film studies.
• The construction of subjectivity: His work analyzed how unconscious processes and symbolic structures shape individual identity.
• Gender and sexuality: He examined how dominant ideologies construct and regulate gender and sexuality through representational practices.
• The Oedipus complex: He re-evaluated the Oedipus complex within a Lacanian framework, focusing on the Symbolic Order and its role in the formation of identity.
• Influence on Screen theory: Fletcher's work was highly influential in the development of British Screen theory and its focus on the ideological and psychological dimensions of cinema.

Selected publications:

• Fletcher, J. (1974). "Psychoanalysis as Historical Discourse." Oxford Literary Review, 1(2), 5-18.
• Fletcher, J. (1983). "The Letter in Lacan." In J. Fletcher & A. Benjamin (Eds.), Abjection, Melancholia and Love: The Work of Julia Kristeva (pp. 43-64). Routledge.
• Fletcher, J. and Benjamin, A. (eds.) (1988) The Problems of Semiotics. Boundaries of Theory. London and New York: Routledge.

Fletcher's work continues to be influential in psychoanalytic literary criticism, film studies, and gender studies. His writings provide a valuable resource for scholars interested in the intersection of psychoanalysis, literature, film, and social theory.