This paper mainly discusses the academic debate on the spread of “literature”. In this debate, supporters argue that “literariness” is spreading to other areas, while opponents argue that “literariness” has not really spread. The two sides have the same path in the purpose of maintaining the status of literature, but there are differences on the definition and scope of “literariness”. Proponents try to maintain the academic value of literary studies through literary sexual spread, while opponents try to maintain the purity of literature. This paper reviews the Russian formalism literary theory, and analyzes the situation of literature in the image era, in order to judge whether the “literariness” is spreading.