FOREGROUNDING THEORY: AN OLD MODEL FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The authors offer an overview of the theory of foregrounding from its origin in the philosophy of Aristotle
and later development in the works of the Russian Formalists and then the Prague Structuralists. The focus
is made on the benefts of Empirical Study of Literature that enables researchers to apply a more rigorous
and accountable methodology in investigating both the content and the form of literary texts as well
as readers’ reactions to them.
Key words: theory of foregrounding, Empirical Study of Literature.