This Response To The Current Crisis In The Field Of Literary Studies Describes The Fundamental Flaws Of Poststructuralist Literary Criticism, Which Has Become A Self Serving Enterprise At The Expense Of Scholarship At Large And Students In Particular Outlining An Improved Approach That Meets The Expectations Of 21st Century Students And Teachers, The Author Proposes A New Definition Of The Literary Object Of Study Which Addresses The Inconsistencies Of The Literary Canon By Including Nontraditional Narratives Such As Films, Comic Books And Pop Songs.