Key Terms
a way of thinking that says meaning, truth, and identity are not fixed- they are always changing, depending on context, language, and interpretation
Post-structuralism
This Deconstructionist concept is illustrated in The Turn of the Screw when Henry James writes, “I was not afraid. But I was afraid,” showing how language can contradict itself and blur reality.
Unstable language
This French philosopher critiqued Western philosophy and is credited with founding the theory of Deconstruction.
Jacques Derrida
In The Turn of the Screw, the Governess’s narration shifts between confidence and fear, making her authority appear unstable. This illustrates which Deconstructionist idea?
destabilizing the narrator’s authority
Which literary theory argues that meaning is not fixed and that texts contain internal contradictions?
Deconstruction
The idea that something is fully here, clear, and knowable. Often linked to truth, certainty, or immediate meaning
Presence
In The Turn of the Screw, opposites like sanity/insanity and reality/illusion lose their clarity due to unreliable narration and contradictory language, making fixed meanings impossible.
Binary Oppositions Collapse
This American literary critic helped bring Deconstruction to the U.S. and emphasized how meaning is produced rather than fixed.
Who is J. Hillis Miller?
The Governess claims to “know her well enough” while admitting she can’t see the woman’s face. What does this contradiction suggest about her reliability?
That her authority and perception are unreliable
In what years did J. Hillis Miller live?
from 1928-2021
Define Undecidability
Some texts or ideas don’t have a single or final meaning, but rather multiple, conflicting meanings
In The Turn of the Screw, narrative ambiguity, unreliable narration, and linguistic indeterminacy create this Deconstructionist effect, where the reader is distanced from events and left questioning the authenticity of the story. What is the deconstructionist effect?
Meaning is Deferred
Jacques Derrida developed Deconstruction by challenging this earlier theory, which focused on binary oppositions and fixed structures.
structuralism
Deconstruction shows how the Governess’s role as protector may actually be harmful. What binary does this challenge in the novel?
Binary Oppositions Collapse or sanity/insanity, innocence/corruption
What did Jacques Derrida critique and study
He critiqued Western philosophy and studied language, writing, and meaning
Define Ambiguities
When something has two or more possible meanings, and its unclear which one is right
In The Turn of the Screw, the governess’s vivid yet unverifiable accounts and the lack of external confirmation from other characters reflect this Deconstructionist concept, which argues that truth in literature is layered, unstable, and open to interpretation.
Non-Absolute Truth
J. Hillis Miller shifted literary criticism away from asking “What does a text mean?” toward analyzing this process instead. This is...
how meaning is produced, deferred, and destabilized
In a Deconstructionist reading of The Turn of the Screw, what specific evidence from the text reveals the collapse of binary oppositions in the Governess’s role?
That the Governess claims to protect the children, but may be harming them, as no one else sees the ghosts
Jacques Derrida developed Deconstruction by opposing which earlier theory that emphasized fixed structures and binary oppositions?
Structuralism
pairs of opposite concepts that structure how we think, but often oversimplify complex ideas
Binary Oppositions
Deconstruction reveals how texts like The Turn of the Screw are shaped by hidden assumptions about sanity, gender, and authority, showing that these are not neutral truths but constructed beliefs. This process of exposing embedded cultural values is known as what?
Ideologicals
Derrida’s critique of Western philosophy led him to challenge the idea that language can convey stable meaning. This belief is central to what literary theory?
Deconstruction
According to Deconstruction, why can’t the reader clearly say whether the ghosts in The Turn of the Screw are real or imagined?
Because the narrative is demonstrated entirely through the Governess’s unreliable perspective, and no other character confirms the ghosts.
In Deconstruction, what term describes the idea that meaning is delayed or postponed through layers of interpretation?
meaning is deferred