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Difference between Structuralism and
Post-Structuralism with appropriate example
Name :- Charmi Vyas
Roll No :- 02
Paper Name :- Literary Theory & Criticisam
Class :- M.A Sem 2
Submitted To :- Department of English, Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.
Structuralism was a literary movement primarily concerned with
understanding how language works as a system of meaning production.
That is to say, structuralism asked the following question: How does
language function as a kind of meaning machine? To answer this
question, structuralism turned its attention to form. Focusing on the
form or structure of the literary work, and the particular use of
language in the work, would allow Structuralists to think of language
as a kind of science.
The primary theorist framing the ideas associated with structuralism
was Ferdinand de Saussure, who developed the idea that language was
composed of arbitrary units that were void of concept or meaning until
they acquired meaning through a language system that relied on
differences between terms within their larger linguistic and social
contexts. One of structuralism's characteristic views is the notion
that language doesn't just reflect or record the world: rather it
shapes it, so that how we see is what we see.
Post-structuralism, on the other hand, is less singularly defined as a
movement than structuralism. Is post-structuralism a continuation and
development of structuralism or a form of rebellion against it?
Post-structuralists accuse structuralists of not following through the
implications of the views about the language on which their
intellectual system is based. Post-structuralism offers a way of
studying how knowledge is produced and critiques structuralist
premises. It argues that because history and culture condition the
study of underlying structures, both are subject to biases and
misinterpretations.
A post-structuralist approach argues that to
understand an object (e.g., a text), it is necessary to study both the
object itself and the systems of knowledge that produced the object
A number of literary theories fall under the larger umbrella of
"post-structuralism," including "gender theory" and "reader-response"
theories. These theories recognize the overarching notion that meaning
does not exist outside of the text and that meaning is not fixed but
rather contingent and unstable. Post-structuralism evolved alongside
Jacques Derrida's theory of "deconstruction," which emphasized this
concept of unstable, unfixed meaning as it functioned in language.
According to Derrida, language is made up of units that do not contain
inherent meaning and relate to other units (or signifiers) through
their difference. Meaning, in deconstructionist theory, is therefore
constantly deferred, never landing in one place or becoming stable.
Post-structuralism emerges in this context, recognizing this lack of
fixed or inherent meaning and yet also acknowledging the need for
language to acquire meaning.
An initial problem here is that post-structuralism often claims that
it is more an attitude of mind than a practical method of criticism.
After all, in what sense could say that Marxist or feminist or even
liberal humanist criticism be called a method? Only in the loosest
way, since none of these provide anything like a step-by-step
procedure for Analyzing literary works. All they offer is an
orientation towards a characteristic central issue and a body of work.
The post-structuralist literary critic is engaged in the task of
'deconstructing' the text. This process can be roughly defined as
'applied post-structuralism'. It is often referred to as 'reading
against the grain' or 'reading the text against itself', with the
purpose of 'knowing the text as it cannot know itself'. (Terry
Eagleton's definitions) At the same time structuralists look for
features like parallels, echoes and reflections. The deconstructionist
looks for evidence of gaps, breaks and discontinuities of all kinds.
Structuralism
Structuralist got the notion that everything could be analysed in the terms of deep structure from linguistic Ferdinand Saussure, Gerard Genette. They found the basic structure in every work. It is like human structure of body that all human being have same inside structure of body. So this can also apply into the literature that it has also their basic common structure which can found every literary forms.
In literary theory structuralism is an approach to analysing the narrative material by examining the underlying invariant structure. Structuralist critic find same structure in many literary work in same way we found many same structure in movies,serial and advertisment. we find in some literary work there where same structure repeat several time for example movies like Drishyam,
This is one of the best suspense movie in Bollywood. It is directed by Nishikant kamat and Produced by Abhishek Pathak. It is the fascinating story that every moment you are forced to think that what will happen next. It is full of suspense and thrillar movie. It is the one of the best movie which I have ever seen. It has no any mistake in direction.
In this movie AJay Devgan is illiterate person who only 4th pass but this thing can't decide that he is not intelligent person which Tabu ( police officer ) believe that he is illiterate and not much intelligent but later on she realise that he is more intelligent person beyond her thinking. So intelligence is not bases on which degree you have or how much you studied it can't decide your intelligency. So Ajay Devgan is more Family center rather than believe in law and crime. He protect his family into this situation and he become successful.
Here i analyze one advertisement.
It is not just advertisement of ' Ariel ' but In this advertisement we find very brif idea about equality of man and women. so i think structure of this advertisement is good.
In this advertisement we can see Feminism Structure of our society. Man and women both are going out side to work for money but very few of theme are share burden of housework. 'Gender Inequalities rooted' in not only our social structure but also in our mentality. i'm just saying that if man go out side for making money then wife do cooking, cleaning, laundry everything, both are making money than why they are not share all there responsibility ?
Post – Structuralism
In the criticism of literature, Post - Structuralism is a theory and practice of reading which questions and claims to ‘subvert’ or ‘undermine’ the assumption that the system of language provides grounds that are adequate to establish the boundaries, the coherence or unity, and the determinate meaning of a literary text. Typically, a deconstructive reading sets out to show the conflicting forces within the text itself to dissipate the seeming definiteness of its structure and meaning into indefinite array of incompatibility and undecidable possibilities.
Derrida was the most influential philosopher in 70s and 80s of last century. His philosophy is the further extension of structuralism and is better called as Post-Structuralism. He carries this structuralist movement to its logical extreme and his reasoning is original and startling. We have seen in this movement that as in New Criticism, the attention was shifted from the writer to the work of literary text; consequently textual analysis became more important than extra textual information. Further, the author disappeared and only the text remained. This is what we called the stylistic and structuralist position. The meaning as it emerges from the text (the illocutionary force) alone counted. In this process the importance of the reader and his understanding increased, and the Reader Response or Reception Theory came into being. Derrida gives the same process a further and final push according to which what matters is the reading and not the writing of the text. At times one feels, though not quite justifiably, that, in Derrida even the text disappears and what is left behind is an individual’s reader response to it. Now the reader rules the supreme, and the validity of his reading can not be challenged. However, the structure of each reading has to be coherent and convincing.
Derrida strongly believe that to define something is to make to boundaries around it. Deconstruction can be taken as a process of inquiring the origin amd consrtuction of the text. Deconstruction do not destroy of any text but its questions it . So one can get to the idea of existence of the text .
In this film shows the binary oppositions of Power - Knowledge, Middle class - High class , Family - Law, Morality - Immorality, Man - Woman , Society - Family .
This film itself deconstruction the mentality that believes by police officer ( Tabu) that illiterate person is never smart or intelligent to escape from his crime. But the later part of the movie deconstructed this idea that Vijay ( protagonist ) is too much intelligent beyond her thinking. He get knowledge from watching films. He saves his family from this crime.
In this movie shows the conflict between power and knowledge or conflict between woman and man.As usually Man become superior by saving his family from crime.
When the lady officer ( Tabu) comes to know that her son making video of girl after knowing the reality about her son she never think that her son has doing something wrong.she also never think twice about that girl who going through this difficult time and as a women she should not be so cruel towards the girl. In this film also shows the mentality of society that women 's pride is so much important for family. When something goes wrong with girl society ultimately blame the girl and her family and never accept them. Because after knowing the reality people blame the girl more than boy. In this film also shows this thing.This thing become responsible for girl to killing that boy.
Difference between Structuralism and
Post-Structuralism with appropriate example
Name :- Charmi Vyas
Roll No :- 02
Paper Name :- Literary Theory & Criticisam
Class :- M.A Sem 2
Submitted To :- Department of English, Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.
Structuralism was a literary movement primarily concerned with
understanding how language works as a system of meaning production.
That is to say, structuralism asked the following question: How does
language function as a kind of meaning machine? To answer this
question, structuralism turned its attention to form. Focusing on the
form or structure of the literary work, and the particular use of
language in the work, would allow Structuralists to think of language
as a kind of science.
The primary theorist framing the ideas associated with structuralism
was Ferdinand de Saussure, who developed the idea that language was
composed of arbitrary units that were void of concept or meaning until
they acquired meaning through a language system that relied on
differences between terms within their larger linguistic and social
contexts. One of structuralism's characteristic views is the notion
that language doesn't just reflect or record the world: rather it
shapes it, so that how we see is what we see.
Post-structuralism, on the other hand, is less singularly defined as a
movement than structuralism. Is post-structuralism a continuation and
development of structuralism or a form of rebellion against it?
Post-structuralists accuse structuralists of not following through the
implications of the views about the language on which their
intellectual system is based. Post-structuralism offers a way of
studying how knowledge is produced and critiques structuralist
premises. It argues that because history and culture condition the
study of underlying structures, both are subject to biases and
misinterpretations.
A post-structuralist approach argues that to
understand an object (e.g., a text), it is necessary to study both the
object itself and the systems of knowledge that produced the object
A number of literary theories fall under the larger umbrella of
"post-structuralism," including "gender theory" and "reader-response"
theories. These theories recognize the overarching notion that meaning
does not exist outside of the text and that meaning is not fixed but
rather contingent and unstable. Post-structuralism evolved alongside
Jacques Derrida's theory of "deconstruction," which emphasized this
concept of unstable, unfixed meaning as it functioned in language.
According to Derrida, language is made up of units that do not contain
inherent meaning and relate to other units (or signifiers) through
their difference. Meaning, in deconstructionist theory, is therefore
constantly deferred, never landing in one place or becoming stable.
Post-structuralism emerges in this context, recognizing this lack of
fixed or inherent meaning and yet also acknowledging the need for
language to acquire meaning.
An initial problem here is that post-structuralism often claims that
it is more an attitude of mind than a practical method of criticism.
After all, in what sense could say that Marxist or feminist or even
liberal humanist criticism be called a method? Only in the loosest
way, since none of these provide anything like a step-by-step
procedure for Analyzing literary works. All they offer is an
orientation towards a characteristic central issue and a body of work.
The post-structuralist literary critic is engaged in the task of
'deconstructing' the text. This process can be roughly defined as
'applied post-structuralism'. It is often referred to as 'reading
against the grain' or 'reading the text against itself', with the
purpose of 'knowing the text as it cannot know itself'. (Terry
Eagleton's definitions) At the same time structuralists look for
features like parallels, echoes and reflections. The deconstructionist
looks for evidence of gaps, breaks and discontinuities of all kinds.
Structuralism
Structuralist got the notion that everything could be analysed in the terms of deep structure from linguistic Ferdinand Saussure, Gerard Genette. They found the basic structure in every work. It is like human structure of body that all human being have same inside structure of body. So this can also apply into the literature that it has also their basic common structure which can found every literary forms.
In literary theory structuralism is an approach to analysing the narrative material by examining the underlying invariant structure. Structuralist critic find same structure in many literary work in same way we found many same structure in movies,serial and advertisment. we find in some literary work there where same structure repeat several time for example movies like Drishyam,
This is one of the best suspense movie in Bollywood. It is directed by Nishikant kamat and Produced by Abhishek Pathak. It is the fascinating story that every moment you are forced to think that what will happen next. It is full of suspense and thrillar movie. It is the one of the best movie which I have ever seen. It has no any mistake in direction.
In this movie AJay Devgan is illiterate person who only 4th pass but this thing can't decide that he is not intelligent person which Tabu ( police officer ) believe that he is illiterate and not much intelligent but later on she realise that he is more intelligent person beyond her thinking. So intelligence is not bases on which degree you have or how much you studied it can't decide your intelligency. So Ajay Devgan is more Family center rather than believe in law and crime. He protect his family into this situation and he become successful.
Here i analyze one advertisement.
It is not just advertisement of ' Ariel ' but In this advertisement we find very brif idea about equality of man and women. so i think structure of this advertisement is good.
In this advertisement we can see Feminism Structure of our society. Man and women both are going out side to work for money but very few of theme are share burden of housework. 'Gender Inequalities rooted' in not only our social structure but also in our mentality. i'm just saying that if man go out side for making money then wife do cooking, cleaning, laundry everything, both are making money than why they are not share all there responsibility ?
Post – Structuralism
In the criticism of literature, Post - Structuralism is a theory and practice of reading which questions and claims to ‘subvert’ or ‘undermine’ the assumption that the system of language provides grounds that are adequate to establish the boundaries, the coherence or unity, and the determinate meaning of a literary text. Typically, a deconstructive reading sets out to show the conflicting forces within the text itself to dissipate the seeming definiteness of its structure and meaning into indefinite array of incompatibility and undecidable possibilities.
Derrida was the most influential philosopher in 70s and 80s of last century. His philosophy is the further extension of structuralism and is better called as Post-Structuralism. He carries this structuralist movement to its logical extreme and his reasoning is original and startling. We have seen in this movement that as in New Criticism, the attention was shifted from the writer to the work of literary text; consequently textual analysis became more important than extra textual information. Further, the author disappeared and only the text remained. This is what we called the stylistic and structuralist position. The meaning as it emerges from the text (the illocutionary force) alone counted. In this process the importance of the reader and his understanding increased, and the Reader Response or Reception Theory came into being. Derrida gives the same process a further and final push according to which what matters is the reading and not the writing of the text. At times one feels, though not quite justifiably, that, in Derrida even the text disappears and what is left behind is an individual’s reader response to it. Now the reader rules the supreme, and the validity of his reading can not be challenged. However, the structure of each reading has to be coherent and convincing.
Derrida strongly believe that to define something is to make to boundaries around it. Deconstruction can be taken as a process of inquiring the origin amd consrtuction of the text. Deconstruction do not destroy of any text but its questions it . So one can get to the idea of existence of the text .
In this film shows the binary oppositions of Power - Knowledge, Middle class - High class , Family - Law, Morality - Immorality, Man - Woman , Society - Family .
This film itself deconstruction the mentality that believes by police officer ( Tabu) that illiterate person is never smart or intelligent to escape from his crime. But the later part of the movie deconstructed this idea that Vijay ( protagonist ) is too much intelligent beyond her thinking. He get knowledge from watching films. He saves his family from this crime.
In this movie shows the conflict between power and knowledge or conflict between woman and man.As usually Man become superior by saving his family from crime.
When the lady officer ( Tabu) comes to know that her son making video of girl after knowing the reality about her son she never think that her son has doing something wrong.she also never think twice about that girl who going through this difficult time and as a women she should not be so cruel towards the girl. In this film also shows the mentality of society that women 's pride is so much important for family. When something goes wrong with girl society ultimately blame the girl and her family and never accept them. Because after knowing the reality people blame the girl more than boy. In this film also shows this thing.This thing become responsible for girl to killing that boy.
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