Since the 20th century, most theoretical circles have taken ideological criticism as their responsibility, and the salvation of "big literary theory" has occupied the central position of literary discourse, while theoretical research focusing on the evolutionary trajectory of the internal laws of literature is gradually being marginalized. Peter Widson, the author of the book A Brief History of Modern Western Literary Concepts, revisited "literariness". Starting from the historical combing and review of literary concepts, he made an analysis of the connotation, status and function of "literariness" in the contemporary era. It provides valuable theoretical thinking and provides new research ideas for the connotation and potential function of "literariness" in the theoretical research space of the new century.