Jacques Derida.pdf 21st century literature

Jacques Derida

1. DECONSTRUCTIONISM
Jacques Derrida

2. Report Sequence
Biography1.
Contribution to Literary Criticism2.
Main ideas/main arguments3.
Examples of Deconstructing a written text4.

3. Jacques Derrida
Born on 15 July 1930 in El Biar (Algiers), Algeria.
Haïm Aaron Prosper Charles Derrida (worked for Tachet wine and spirits
company)
Georgette Sultana Esther
Family was Sephardic Jewish (originating from Toledo, Spain)
Jackie to Jacques
Paul Moïse died at less than three months old

4. Education & Early Life
Expelled from his lycée in 1942 due to antisemitic quotas imposed by the
Vichy government.
Skipped school for a year and participated in football competitions.
Influenced by works of Rousseau, Nietzsche, Gide, as well as Camus and
Sartre during his adolescence.

5. Academic Journey
Attended Lycée Bugeaud in Algiers, then moved to Paris in 1949 to attend
Lycée Louis-le-Grand.
Failed his first entrance exam to the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) but
passed on his second attempt in 1952.
Completed his master's degree in philosophy on Edmund Husserl after
visiting the Husserl Archive in Leuven.
Passed the agrégation exam in 1956.
Received a grant to study at Harvard University in 1956–57, where he read
James Joyce's Ulysses.

6. Later Life
Derrida married psychoanalyst Marguerite Aucouturier in June 1957 in
Boston.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2002.
Derrida passed away during surgery on 9 October 2004 in a hospital in
Paris.

7. CONTRIBUTION TO LITERARY
CRITICISM

8. DECONSTRUCTIONISM
"A position one has with regards to something"
"Structure, Sign and Play" 1966
"Basic Problem of Phenomenology" 1927 by Martin Heidegger
Analyze metaphysical through deconstructionism

9. MAIN IDEAS/MAIN ARGUMENTS

10. Transcendental Signified
concepts or ideas that people often consider as ultimate, fixed, or
foundational truths. These are ideas believed to give meaning to everything
else without needing further explanation.
God, truth, justice, reason, human nature
Love, freedom, happiness
Transcendental Signified = error
meanings are never fixed; they always depend on other words and are
constantly changing.
There's no single, stable meaning or concept that gives meaning to
everything else.

11. Logocentrism
A belief that that there is an ultimate reality of center or truth
serves as the basis of our actions and thoughts

12. Phonocentrism
The privileging of speech over writing, viewing speech as the primary source of meaning and the true expression of thought.
1
Speech as Presence
Phonocentrism assumes that speech is directly connected to the speaker's presence, making it appear more
authentic and reliable. The speaker's voice and intention are believed to be directly transmitted through
speech, creating an immediate and unmediated connection between speaker and listener.
2
Writing as Absence
In contrast, writing is often seen as absent from the speaker's presence, creating a sense of distance and
potential for misinterpretation. Writing is perceived as a detached representation of speech, devoid of the
immediate connection between speaker and listener.
3
Derrida’s Challenge
Derrida challenges phonocentrism by arguing that writing is not simply a secondary representation of speech
but a distinct system of meaning production. He highlights the inherent complexity and instability of language,
regardless of whether it is spoken or written.

13. Binary Oppositions:
Unmasking the Hierarchy
Pairs of contrasting terms that structure our understanding of the world.
These seemingly opposite terms are not necessarily equal but are often
organized hierarchically, with one term being valued over the other.
Term 1 Term 2
Good Evil
Presence Absence
Reason Emotion

14. Arche-Writing
Grammatology (1967) science of writing
language is a special kind of writing
opposes the idea of phonocentrism

15. Differance
To be different from
What if?

16. Suppositions of Deconstructive Textual Analysis
Texts have multiple meaning and interpretation1.
Override the logocentric viewing of a text2.
Revere the binary opposition3.

17. Questions when deconstructing
What are the binary operations that governs the text?1.
What ideas, concepts and values are established by these binaries?2.
By reversing the elements in each binary, can you challenge the previously held value system posited by the original
binary?
3.
After the reversing one or more binaries in a given text, can you dismantle your original interpretation of that text?4.
can you cite three different interpretations for a text of your choosing by flipping a series of three major binaries contained
in that text?
5.

18. Examples of Deconstructing a
written text

19. The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals on a wet, black bough.
In a Station by the Metro by Ezra Pound

20. 1. What are the binary operations that govern the text?
Apparition vs. Reality: Apparition & faces in the crowd implies real, physical people.1.
Nature vs. Urban: Petals & crowd2.
Beauty vs. Decay: petals & wet, black bough3.

21. 2. What ideas, concepts, and values are established by these binaries?
Apparition vs. Reality: The fleeting, ghost-like figures, evoking a sense of anonymity and transience
in the urban setting, where the crowd overwhelms and reduces individuals to mere apparitions.
Nature vs. Urban: The contrast between the natural beauty of the petals and the grim, industrial
metro setting emphasizes the alienation of modern life, where natural beauty seems out of place.
Beauty vs. Decay: The delicate beauty of the petals is set against the dark, possibly decaying "bough."
This could represent the fragility of beauty and life in a harsh, indifferent urban environment.

22. 3. By reversing the elements in each binary, can you challenge the previously held value system
posited by the original binary?
Reality vs. Apparition: "apparition" becomes more substantial than the "faces in the crowd." The
ghostly, ephemeral nature of the faces might be seen as a more real, profound truth about
modern life, suggesting that it is the fleeting, transitory experiences that hold deeper significance.
1.
Urban vs. Nature: By flipping this, the metro and the crowd could be seen as the new, living
"nature," while the petals and bough are lifeless relics of a past world. The city, then, becomes the
place of vitality, while nature is a fading memory.
1.
Decay vs. Beauty: If we reverse this binary, the "wet, black bough" could represent something
strong and enduring, while the "petals" might symbolize the temporary, fragile nature of beauty.
The dark, decayed element could be seen as a source of stability and resilience.
1.

23. 3. By reversing the elements in each binary, can you challenge the previously held value system
posited by the original binary?
Reality vs. Apparition: "apparition" becomes more substantial than the "faces in the crowd." The
ghostly, ephemeral nature of the faces might be seen as a more real, profound truth about
modern life, suggesting that it is the fleeting, transitory experiences that hold deeper significance.
1.
Urban vs. Nature: By flipping this, the metro and the crowd could be seen as the new, living
"nature," while the petals and bough are lifeless relics of a past world. The city, then, becomes the
place of vitality, while nature is a fading memory.
1.
Decay vs. Beauty: If we reverse this binary, the "wet, black bough" could represent something
strong and enduring, while the "petals" might symbolize the temporary, fragile nature of beauty.
The dark, decayed element could be seen as a source of stability and resilience.
1.

24. 4. After reversing one or more binaries in a given text, can you dismantle your original
interpretation of that text?
Beauty and Urban decay — "black bough" as representing something enduring and resilient in the
face of change
1.
This reversal challenges the notion that nature and beauty are always superior to urban life. 2.

25. 5. Can you cite three different interpretations for a text of your choosing by flipping a series of
three major binaries contained in that text?
Apparition as Real: 1.
The faces in the crowd, initially described as ghostly, are actually the real, meaningful aspects of
modern life.
The fleeting interactions and momentary connections are what give the city its vibrancy and
depth.
The "apparition" becomes the true essence of urban experience.
2. Urban as Nature:
The metro and its crowd become a new form of nature. The organic movement of people through
the station mirrors the natural world.
The urban environment, rather than being a place of alienation, is viewed as a living, breathing
ecosystem where human activity replaces natural rhythms.

26. 3. Decay as Strength:
The "wet, black bough," which initially seems decayed, can be seen as resilient and enduring.
The petals (beauty) are fragile and temporary, the bough (urban life) is strong, withstanding time
and hardship.
This suggests that the harshness of the city might be its strength, where beauty and life continue
despite adversity.