Literary Meaning: From Phenomenology to Destruction / Edition 1

by William Ray

Overview

This book is both a guide to, and interpretation of, the course of modern literary theory. Exploring the various theories of reading which have informed post-war literary criticism, it shows that for all the fervour of current debate about new movements in criticism, all these different approaches share at root a common notion of literary meaning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780631134589
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/08/1991
Series:	From Phenomenology to Deconstruction
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 8.48(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

William Ray is Associate Professor of French at Reed College, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Quest for Literary Meaning: A Historical Overview

Phenomenology and the "Intentionality" of Meaning

Deconstruction and the Challenge to Stable Interpretation

Part I: Foundations of Phenomenology

Chapter 1: Edmund Husserl and the "Transcendental Ego"

The concept of "Noema" and "Noesis"

The "Epoché" or Bracketing Method

Applying Phenomenology to Literary Texts

Chapter 2: Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the Body Subject

Embodiment and Perception

The "Flesh" and Intercorporeality

Implications for Literary Experience

Part II: Deconstruction and the Critique of Meaning

Chapter 3: Jacques Derrida and the "Logocentrism" Critique

The "Trace" and "Différance"

The "Supplement" and the Play of Language

Deconstruction of Binary Oppositions

Chapter 4: Key Concepts in Deconstruction

Undecidability

Aporia

The "Textual" and the "Contextual"

Part III: Applying Deconstruction to Literature

Chapter 5: Deconstructing Narrative Structure

Unreliable Narrators

The "Open Ending"

The Role of Ambiguity

Chapter 6: Deconstructing Character and Identity

The "Split Subject"

The "Other" in Literature

Gender and Identity Politics in Deconstruction

Chapter 7: Deconstructing Genre Conventions

The "Subversion" of Genre

The "Hybrid" Text

The Limits of Genre Classification

Conclusion

The Legacy of Deconstruction in Literary Criticism

Beyond Deconstruction: New Directions in Interpretation

The Ongoing Debate about Meaning and Interpretation