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Structuralism
Structuralism
of human existence.
In language, the structural linguistics of de Saussure (1857-1913)
terms of an unconscious.
In the 1960s, the structuralist movement, based in
France, attempted to synthesise the ideas of Marx,
Freud and Saussure. They disagreed with the
existentialists' claim that each man is what he makes
himself.
For the structuralist the individual is shaped by
sociological, psychological and linguistic structures
over which he/she has no control, but which could be
uncovered by using their methods of investigation.
Originally labelled a structuralist, the French philosopher and
historian Michel Foucault came to be seen as the most important
representative of the post-structuralist movement. He agreed that
language and society were shaped by rule governed systems, but
he disagreed with the structuralists on two counts
Firstly, he did not think that there were definite underlying
structures that could explain the human condition and…
Secondly he thought that it was impossible to step outside of
discourse and survey the situation objectively.
1. What are the elements of the work – words, stanzas, chapters, parts, for
example – and how can these be seen as revealing “difference”?
2. How do the characters, narrators, speakers, or other voices heard in the
work reveal difference?
3. How do the elements of the work’s plot or overall action suggest a
meaningful pattern? What changes, adjustments, transformations, shifts
of tone, attitude, behavior, or feeling do you find?
4. How are the work’s primary images and events related to one another?
What elements of differentiation exist, and what do they signify?
5. What system of relations could be used to link this work with others of
its kind?
6. What system of relations could be used to link this work with others of
its kind? What system of relations could be used to link this work with
different kinds of things with which it shared some similarities?
(DiYanni 1585)
DiYanni, Robert. Literature Approaches to
Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Boston: McGraw-
Hill, 2004. Print.
Guerin, Wilfred L., Labor, Earle, Morgan, Lee,
Reesman, Jeanne C., and Willingham, John R. A
Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature.
5th ed. NY: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.