Examples
Give 1 example of binary oppositions
Light vs Dark, Good vs Evil etc...
Define structuralism
Theory that believes in fixed meaning and looks for contrasting ideas and elements of structure
Who invented "Deconstruction"?
Jacques Derrida
What are the three stages/levels of deconstruction suggested by Peter Barry?
Verbal - Textual - Linguistic
Name two influential contributors to the deconstruction theory
Jacques Derrida; Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak; Roland Barthes; Peter Barry
Define logocentrism
Western philosophy that desires for a center or origin for the meaning of words in the structure of reality
What does Barthes mean by 'the author is dead'?
The meaning of text is not determined by the author's intention, it is determined by the reader's interpretation
True or False: Deconstruction often focuses on analyzing binary oppositions and revealing their inherent instability.
True
Give 3 examples of binary oppositions in Romeo and Juliet
Love vs. Hate
Life vs. Death
Fate vs. Freedom
Order vs. Chaos
Define aporia
Who inspired Barthes' theory of 'The Death of Author'
Friedrich Nietzsche (God is Dead)
What is the main difference between structuralism and deconstruction regarding understanding meaning and language?
Structuralism emphasizes the idea that language and culture are structured systems governed by underlying rules and codes; deconstruction asserts that language is inherently unstable and that meanings are fluid and constantly shifting
Give 3 examples of deconstruction in society
- deconstructing gender roles and traditional masculinity
- colonialism and postcolonial
- deconstructing racial categories, racial hierarchies and power dynamics
- legal system and justice
- media representations and deconstructing beauty standards
Define différance
Means 'differ' and 'defer' in french. Meanings don't stay still, they shift and change over time
What did Gayatri Spivak suggest about "Deconstructive Reading" and what is the purpose of doing so?
Focuses on minor characters, subplots or narratives that seem peripheral in the text, in order to decentralize and focus on marginalized groups.
Why/What does Jacques Derrida critique about Logocentrism?
Derrida sees as inherent biases in Western philosophy and language that denies the social, historical, finite and contingent character of human thought