Similarities Between Structuralism And Deconstructionism

Structuralism and Deconstruction Formalism and Deconstructionism may be hard to understand at first, but they provide unique and interesting insight into literary criticism. They help readers to dig much farther than surface level and learn things that could not be learned without a formalist or deconstructionist mindset. Although there are some texts that are better understood with other theories, in the long run structuralism and deconstruction are very important even if some people consider them to be outdated. As Oscar Wilde says, the author creates the art, but the critic â€Å"translates† it into meaning which is what is beautiful. (Bressler, xi) Such as is true, Structuralism and Deconstructionism help the world to read for more than†¦show more content†¦Somebody in prison might have made one really bad choice, maybe even on accident, but they are now working hard to make the best decisions and are sometime more kind than drivers with road rage. On the other ha nd, many people may make lots of bad choices, and choose to be beyond rude to others always, but they aren’t doing anything illegal. Deconstructionism could see the two as binary opposites and show that they aren’t all that different. As discussed in class, deconstruction is like a puzzle trying to figure out where each piece might fit beyond their original place. Such is like life where everyone is trying to figure out where they belong. This brings deconstruction back to â€Å"Dracula† because maybe Dracula is misunderstood and just because his life situations are different, doesn’t make him better than the other characters or the other characters better than him. Although â€Å"Dracula† is fiction, the circumstances and topics in the story are very real and deconstruction helps break them down and find the deeper meaning. Formalism on the other hand, is almost like a close reading of a text, but focusing solely on the language present in the text. It avoids any outside elements about the author and similar subjects that in other theories, are brought in to further the study of the literature. In formalism, outside information is irrelevant. In other words, â€Å"The proper study of literature†¦is literature itself.† (Bressler, 49) Poems are one of the best pieces ofShow MoreRelated20th Century Philosophy1064 Words   |  5 Pagesemphasis on selected problems as well as figures in German idealism (Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Marx) and recent continental philosophy (Heidegger, Habermas, Lukacs). He is continuing to explore the epistemology of German idealism as well as the relation between philosophy and politics. His most recent work concerns a new theory of knowledge as intrinsically historical. Tom Rockmore believes that there are approximately three tendencies that govern the 20th Century‘s philosophy dispute. These three tendenciesRead MoreSeminar: Literary Theory Applied to H.P. Lovecraft-Notably â€Å"the Beast in the Cave†6821 Words   |  28 Pagesauthors of our century.† In the following paper, I will explore his earliest work, â€Å"The Beast in the Cave,† a story written when he was around fifteen years old. I will explore its meanings and context through the lenses of reader response, deconstructionism, new historicism, and psychoanalytic analysis. Through these lenses of literary theory I hope to derive further meaning and understanding of this favored story as well as dismiss some criticism that has been leveled against H.P. Lovecraft.