Deconstruction : A literary theory

Paper :- 204 : Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies
Sem 3

1. Maharaja krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar university Department of English Deconstruction : A literary theory Presented by : Chandani Pandya [email protected] Sem :- 3 (Batch – 2022/22) Roll no. :- 05 Paper :- 204 : Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies

2. Jacques Derrida French Theorist, philosopher and writer His areas of study include philosophy, literary criticism and literary theory Studied Philosophy at a very prestigious school in Paris, Ecole Normale Superieure He received a great deal of popularity for his theories and writing style, and equally as much criticism for them In 1967, he introduced the theory of Deconstruction

3. Origins of Deconstruction Derrida’s main influence for the development of this theory was from the theorist, Martin Heidegger In his work called Being and Time, Heidegger talks about “de-structuring” of previous ontological concepts such as time, history, matter, etc.. In order to better understand them. Derrida’s theory is similar to Heidegger’s in that he, too wanted to rethink many of the terms commonly used in philosophical consideration, but Derrida took further steps in creating a workable theory.

4. What is Deconstruction ? Defining this term can be especially difficult and confusing. Derrida once said that it is a necessary confusion since it is criticizing the very language needed to explain it. Here is a very simplified explanation of the reasoning behind this theory that I found helpful. “Deconstruction seems to center around the idea that language and meaning are often inadequate in trying to convey the message or idea a communicator in trying to express. Since the confusion stems break the language are not the object then one should break down or deconstruct the language to see if we can better understand where the confusing stems.”

5. Three elements :- 1. Arbitrary : Meaning given to words are purely ‘Arbitrary’ No Inherent connection between the word and it meaning. 2. Meanings are Relational Words and Context same What we are meaning are related 3. Language Construct our W orld Everything is constructed by words Words give us Worldview Example :- Sign = Signifier + Signified Cow = Animal + Swit Food-Beef Food = Raw + Cooked

6. Binary opposition World have binary opposite like good/evil, mind/body, speech/writing. Usually one side is valued higher than the other. This creates difficulties that deconstruction aims to correct. By deconstructing these binary opposition, we are able to uncover the foundation. Derrida argued that philosophical traditions were largely “marginalized”, and with the application of deconstruction, it is possible to express what has been repressed in these tradition. Another Examples:- - Day vs Night White vs Black Man vs Woman God vs Devil Meaning vs Meaninglessness

7. How is it used in literary analysis ? Used as a tool in narrative analysis Start with a very careful reading that looks for inconsistency and contradiction in the text The results often uncovering of a deeply complex foundation that is difficult to make sense of This is one of the many criticism of Deconstruction, that it nihilistic and unproductive because it leads to u ncertainly.

8. Post-modernism 19 th and 20 th century A period that encompasses more than literature Theories emerged in art, architecture, culture and more Characterized by resistance of modernism, higher culture, and enlightenment Challenges truths about world histories

9. Post-structuralism It is wonder why a theory like Deconstruction came out of a period like this where many aspects of culture and society were being rethought from different perspectives. At the same time another movement surfaced. It was called Post-Structuralism which was a reaction to Structuralism, a method of deriving meaning from analyzing function of something within its cultural constructs. Instead, it looked at language as something that can never explain reality because it is too unstable, and not objective.

10. References : Deconstruction – Introduction. “Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec Project Editor. Vol. 138, Gale Cengage, 2003. Johnson, T,S, “Deconstruction Theory”. Ezine Articles. URL = http://EzineArticles.com/84192 Lawlor , Leonard “Jacques Derrida.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2010) Edward N, Zalta ( ed ,) URL = http ://plato.stanford.edu/entries/derrida /#LifWor McNeill, W. H., Bentley, J.H. and Christian, D. Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History. 4 (2005): 505-1507. Gale Cenage Learning.Web . 07 May 2011 Schrift,A.D.”Deconstruction,”Encyclopedia of Pholisophy . Ed. Donald M. Bochert . 2 (2006): 661-662. Gale Cenage Learning.Web . 07 May 2011