Systems theory is a versatile theory applicable to all disciplines, from mathematical to physical and from psychological to human sciences, responding to the needs of postmodern scholarly research. In order to maintain their system-environment differentiation, autopoietic (i.e. self-reproducing) systems need to go through courses of evolution. Evolution of a system implies its increased complexity, hence the differentiation of subsystems within its internal environment. According to social systems theory, Literature or Verbal Art is a subsystem of Art, which is in turn one of the five major social subsystems, the other four being Religion, Polity, Economy and Science. Literature has its own respective subsystems or genres, namely Epic, Drama, Lyric, Novel and Screenplay. One way of analyzing subsystems of art, which makes way for their critical analysis, is the study of their four system features, namely Structure, Function, Process and Purpose. It is possible to develop methods of literary criticism and adaptation by analyzing the abovementioned features in both the original and the target literary genres and/or modes.
Keywords: Literary adaptation, Literature as a social system, Systems theory