The following entry translated into Brazilian Portuguese has been originally written by Vince Brewton, professor at the University of North Alabama, and published in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The objective of this texto is to offer a general introduction, in ten chapters, to what constitutes and had constituted literary theory, its mais teoretical perspectives and researchers. in this entry, Brewton emphasizes the importance of the hsitorical context, linguistic elements and uncounscious aspects to textual interpretation and to the formation of differente schools of literary theory.