THE IMPORTANCE OF MIKHAIL BAKHTIN IN THE THEORY OF LITERATURE

Abstract

Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin remains one of the most influential literary theorists of the twentieth century, whose ideas continue to shape contemporary literary criticism, cultural studies, linguistics, philosophy, and communication theory. Although many of his writings remained unpublished or were misunderstood during his lifetime, the posthumous dissemination of his work profoundly transformed the study of literature by introducing concepts that challenged formalist and structuralist approaches. Bakhtin's theories of dialogism, polyphony, heteroglossia, carnival, and the chronotope fundamentally altered understandings of literary language, narrative structure, and the relationship between texts and society. His insistence that meaning emerges through dialogue rather than isolated authorial intention established a dynamic framework for interpreting literary works as living interactions among multiple voices, cultures, and historical contexts.

This paper examines Bakhtin's contribution to literary theory by analyzing the philosophical foundations of his work, the principal concepts that define his theoretical system, and his continuing relevance within contemporary literary scholarship. Particular attention is devoted to dialogism, polyphony, heteroglossia, the chronotope, and carnival as methodological tools for literary analysis. The paper further explores Bakhtin's influence on modern criticism, poststructuralism, reader-response theory, discourse analysis, and interdisciplinary humanities research. By examining recent scholarship published between 2021 and 2026 alongside Bakhtin's classical texts, the study demonstrates that Bakhtin's theoretical legacy remains indispensable for understanding literature as a socially situated, historically evolving, and dialogic phenomenon.