Understanding the Epistemological Function of Literary Texts Through Literary Criticism Theories: A Study of Sinhala Literary Works Across Genres

Abstract

Literature functions as an essential vehicle for social critique, conveying insights regarding the human condition and systemic realities that lie beyond everyday experience. This paper examines how literary texts execute an epistemological function by interrogating dominant societal ideologies, and underscores the crucial role of literary criticism theories in rendering these underlying meanings intelligible. Tracing the philosophical evolution of ontology and epistemology, the research article establishes that literature does not merely reflect existing reality, but continuously subjects its justifications to critical scrutiny. Utilizing a comparative and theoretical approach, the study analyzes representative texts across poetry, concrete poetry, and narrative fiction using varied critical methodologies. The study demonstrates how feminist epistemology exposes systemic gender inequities; Marxist theory unpacks economic exploitation and emotional alienation in globalized labor market representations; Russian formalism reveals how non-traditional visual structures generate unique semantic dimensions; reader-response theory accounts for varied psychological and affective reader interpretations in surrealist fiction; and post-colonial theory uncovers lingering cultural and linguistic hegemony within post-independence Sri Lankan literature. The paper asserts that literary critical theories fall into distinct yet complementary categories that analyze textual form, content, and external reception. The study concludes that applying theoretical frameworks is essential to achieving a nuanced, intellectually grounded reading experience. By facilitating a deeper comprehension of implicit epistemological insights, literary theory enables literature to fulfill its vital socio-cultural role of transforming human consciousness and analyzing the broader social order.

Keywords

• Epistemology
• Literary Criticism Theory
• Ideological Critique
• Socio-Cultural Context