The work largely deals with Bataille's writings between 1945 and 1961. The diverse and multidisciplinary approach of Bataille's own work, however, inevitably entails a broad theoretical approach and includes numerous discourses and fields, such as philosophy, art history, literary theory, aesthetics and anthropology. More specifically it contains an in-depth analysis of Bataille's theory of subjectivity and transgression, which are at the basis of his theory of art. Although the work is an analysis of Bataille's writings on art and literature it can also be read as a general introduction into the basic premises of his thought as a whole. The work contains an anthropological analysis of the emergence and the meaning of religious rituals, a discussion of Aztec sacrifice, Greek tragedy, surrealist painting and poetry. Bataille's interpretation of the works of Manet, Picasso and Emily Bronte is also discussed. In addition there is a chapter on the philosophical precursors to Bataille's theory of art, with a special focus on Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy and Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit.
Kennedy's methodological approach primarily consists in a close reading and critical exposition of a number of texts, which contain the key to understanding Bataille's aesthetic theory and, to a certain extent, his postwar work as a whole.
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