Abstract: Facing postmodern thought challenges, intension of the literary theoretical core category is experiencing great challenges, which means this discipline is in a new developing phase.These changes reveal the limitation, developing space and developing direction of the core category.It is benefcial to the fostering of the graduates.The limitation of essentialism lies in its pursuit of the universal essence;the disadvantage of actualism rests with its persistence in epistemology, abstracting emotions into thoughts;the modern core category of theory of language transcends the traditional language perspectives, both enriching the language itself and the literary theory.Internal logic exists among the three categories.