Deconstruction and Derrida

Hello guys… Normally we think that Literary theories in Literature and especially when we came to modern theories it is a kind of heavy dose. But, as usual like every coin everything has two opposite side, similarly it is interesting to read theories and apply it on literary text or on any kind of art is very much helpful to read text from multiple angles. So what we have done here is deconstructing the very stereotype belief that Literary theory are very hard...But no it is very easy after deep reading. So today, I am going to talk about the very modern and keen theory of Post-Structuralism is Deconstruction by Derrida.

What is Deconstruction?

Derrida the founder of term Deconstruction refuse to define it. Because he personally believes that anything on the Earth cannot be defined at it extreme and complete. So by denying to define Deconstruction Derrida making the deconstruction of very common idea of "Definition." 

Deconstruction is a reaction against Structuralism. Structuralist strongly believed that everything has some kind of similar structure which is fixed and absolute. But Post-Structuralist neglected the idea of Structuralism and said There is nothing like Constant everything  is changing. 

For Example….

ECG machine which measure the heartbeat never showing the same line of our heartbeat rate.

Another example is of Sound Measure machine. Is we pronounced the word A, machine showing some kind of frequency and tone and when we pronounce the same word again frequency going to be changed completely. 

So the question came in our mind is Why such kinds of things happen?? So the ultimate answer is that….

            "बदलाव प्रकृति का नियम है।"

So with the theory of Deconstruction what Derrida wants to prove is that Nothing is fixed whether it is time or meaning of words. Meaning of word changes with different contexts. Everything is going to be changed with every moment. So this is the simplified version of Deconstruction. But what Derridian concept of Deconstruction is that text is a "Free play of Meaning" You can read the text from different angles and point out different meanings from the same text by dismantling or decentering the original meaning.

When we decode the word "Being" (means something is existed), 

The  "Be" means Complete, done and "ing" refers to something which is in process.

So the word Being is also denotes two meaning that you are something and you are also in the process of becoming something.

So, the word 'Being' is signifier, which signifying nothing. According to Lacan There is constant sliding between signifier and signified. We can never reach at the ultimate or proper meaning. Signifier which lead to another signifier and signifies nothing. It is all about playing of Word-game. Very appropriate quote for Deconstruction is that….

"When you play with words,

Words play with you."

Decentering the Center

Theory of Deconstruction question on the center of center. It is inquiry into foundation and by that it tries to decentered the very center. It os not negative term so it tries to get the root of things and on that particular evidence it displace the center or position of center may be taken by other center.

Binary Opposition 

Structuralism believed that language is created on Binary Opposition. One is privileged or superior over other. But deconstionalist believed that there is nothing like opposite things. Everything is equal and on the same line. 

For Example: Gender Discrimination is the most favourite topic but now the people are more aware, working more on Gender equality and also searching for same word with which we can inrouduce Man and woman both wihout differentiating them. Zhe or Hir for both gender.

Metaphysics of Presence

What is present or visible is more important for Structuralist but Post-Structuralist celebrate the absence for the presence of present. There is something which always absent behind what we can see in presence.

Free play of Meaning-AutoCritical

Derrida's core idea is that text consist so many meaning, you can interpret it in your own ways. The meaning of the same word is changing with different context and the ultimate meaning can never be grasped. And we can get infinite meaning of the text from the text itself because deconstruction is auto-critical. Deconstruction happen on its own. 

"There is nothing outside text."

Roland Barthes concept of Death of Author. Author is no more so you can get Multiple Conflicting meaning. Also we can connect here the concept of Meta-Language….

Language itself has some features inside, which can generate meanings after manings.

Differance

Theory of differance with 'A' is demonstrate two meaning. To Differ means not alike means differentiate and To Defer means to countinued, postponing or changing of meaning.

Paradise Lost

(To read Human perspective and Divine perspective in Paradise Lost plese Click here)

Paradise Lost is a great Epic poem by John Milton. It is based on the biblical story of Man's First Disobedience and Fall of men From Heaven. Satan who tempted Eveto eat the Apple of Forbidden tree, God who denied to eat it. But Eve fall inthe prey of Satan and eat the fruit and first disobedience which lead to man's downfall on Earth. 

So, This Epic poem is God-Centric who is Generator, Operator and Destroyer of the Universe. But when we start Deconstructing the same poem It became Human-Centric. There are some questions which raise as the part of deconstruction of text…

• God Maker-Wise who knows everything, So why create Satan.
• Justice of God itself is full of wrong decision. 
• God punished Eve more than instead of Adam. So here also we can read the difference between two binary opposite gender Male and Female.

So when we try to read the text from different perspective than we decentered the very core idea of God in Paradise lost. To support this argument Empson also said that….

"Milton deserves credit for making God wicked, since the God of Chriatianity is a wicked God."

# Like a Girl

When we read this phrase 'Like a girl' what it shows is Gender bias that Boy and Girl are two Different things. But that doesn't mean that one is privileged and another is superior. This very phrase can be read in two conflicting way….

• Like a Girl is an Insult
• Like a Girl is amazing things

So what question can be raised in this particular video is that why Girl behave like in some girlish way when they are asked  to do things 'like a girl.' So, What is absent here, which is a constant force that pulls to Girls to be like a girl is the Man Dominated society. The construction of girls from childhood is like that… You are girl and You should behave in such ways because to be a girl is shameful. But when we came to Young Girls who are far away from these all cultural norms and construction, what mean for them Like a Girl is very Opposite. Because, They are not constructed in a stereotypes social norms. 

So the Very Idea of To be Like a Girl is presented here in  two opposite way with the hidden force of Patriarchal world. So we can say that concept of To be like a girl is deconstructed here, with try to effacing the social rules and regulations. Also vanishing the Binary Opposition, which are prevailing society like Man is always privileged and superior to Woman. And focus on one linear idea that we all are first "Human Being."

અંધારું vs અજવાળું

અંધારું કોણે કહ્યું તું શાપ છે,

કોણે કહ્યું તું પાપ છે,

જો તારા લલાટે કલંક હોય ને તો શ્યામ પણ નાપાક છે..

ઘુવડને હૈયે તો તું જ ખાસ,

એની જોમે તો ચમકનો કાપ છે…

તુજ બિન તેજનો પણ શું મોકો,

 તારાથી જ તો વાતો  અમાપ છે…

યુદ્ધે તો પ્રકાશ જ નાશપ્રાય,

અને તું જ સુખશાંતી ની છાપ છે…

તુમ બિન તો દિપક પણ નકામો,

તારા થકી તો પ્રેમે પણ ચાર ચાંદ છે…

પરોઢિયાને ભલે લોકો વખાણતા પણ,

તું જ તેમનો મનગમતો સહવાસ છે…

આ દુનિયા હંમેશથી તને પંખોળતી,

પણ મારી ખુશીયે તો ટેરો જ જાપ છે….

                       - નિવેશા કી બાતેં ( મંઝિલ )

Why people privileged one thing and undermine other things? There may be a possibility to establish their power. One party came with one thought and make it superior but another came in existence and make another superior. So the idea of Binary Opposition is abstract. Nothing is superior and Inferior. Both are complement of each other.

So when we see two these Opposite words Like Lightness and Darkness. So Light which lighten our life but Darkness which make people blind to see the other things so In Human Society Light is Privileged over Darkness. But in the following poem poet try to make Deconstruction in conventional belief that Light over power Darkness. But there is, its own importance of Darkness also.

Darkness which is considered as curse or evil, but to prove its importance poet also raise question against God that if Dark scary night is evil than God Krishna is also black so he also may be Evil or sinful. By putting God as evidence poet proves importance of Darkness. So the very idea of Lightness is ultimately deconstructed here.

Further poet try to show importance of Darkness that if there is no night than there also existence of Morning is problematic. We can't  say that Light is superior and Darkness is Inferior. According to Humans Light is a center, But when it comes to Owl suddenly light is replaced by darkness and Owl's world is full of Darkness. Light is decentered.

There also another reference of War. In ancient India, there were some rules of war like End of the Day is an end of war for that Day. So for Soldiers also night is at center because Night extended there life for one more Day. So In this way this poem try to….

"Decentered the light and place of light is replaced by Darkness, which is supposed to Inferior and periphery."

So, when we try to deconstruct the idea of prevailing of Lightness, we have to inquire into the foundation that why one is superior. So according to Christian cosmology, the world is full of darkness, Earth is without form. But the creator of Earth said that…

"Let there be light: and there was light.”

According to Hesiod's theory of Theogony also says that….

"First of all void came into being, and out void came Darkness and black night and out night came light and Day."

So we are only focusing here, what is present, but the behind the presence of something there is something absent which hidden side of present. So According to 'Metaphysics of Presence'

Light is present and Dark is absent when find the root of it or question the Being of Beingness than we came to know that Darkness is already existed but Lightness undermine the very core idea of Darkness.

In various Chinese Cosmogonic myths ( To read more Click here) Light and Dark have their own essential role. Like Lightness which stand for active or male energy which forms Yin Energy and Darkness which is passive and female energy forms Yang energy. Like Darkness woman is also Inferior to man accordance to gender stereotypes. And that's why we can also read this poem from Gender Bias perspective by considering Darkness as the metaphor of woman, who is always dominated by Man.

So this how following poem can be read from different perspective and we can also defined it in different ways. Like from point of view of Darkness, Light is Decentered and Man is privileged over woman, and Deconst the mass belief of Superiority of Light over Darkness.

So, This how we can apply the Deconstruction theory on various text and make reading to single text by multiple angles and also try to deconstruct the very core idea by making inquiry into the Foundations.