Literary Meaning
From Phenomenology to Destruction
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.
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
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
William Ray is Associate Professor of French at Reed College, Oregon.
