Let me begin by saying when I first glanced at the text I saw the word "metaphysics" and got so upset I couldn't read the article for an hour. That word shouldn't be in a lit crit book.
"One can therefore describe what is peculiar to the structural organization only by not taking into account, in the very moment of this description, its past conditions: by failing to post the problem of the passage from one structure to another, by putting history into parenthesis. In this 'structuralist' moment, the concepts of chance and discontinuity are indispensable" (Derrida 362).
What an article. First, it was structure is good. We can learn a lot from structure. Then, signs are good too. Check them out. Then Levi-Strauss, Levi-Strauss, myths, Levi-Strauss (think he got made fun of as a kid? I hope so). I would have rather read the Levi-Strauss article- I would have gotten more out of it, I think.
So it is the structures that make a work? We should look at them and how they came about in the social and cultural context in order to understand a work (I hesitate to say "text" here, as per Keesey)? Derrida's "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences'" does not exactly outline structuralism for me- or how to relate it well to a literary work. "The center is not the center"? Ok then, what is it, and how can I read a piece of writing with this in mind? I applaud you, Valerie, for taking on this difficult article.
Posted by VanessaKolberg at March 26, 2007 8:02 PM | TrackBackWhere's the cream filling? If there's no center than why eat the Oreo? If there's no center, what's the point of writing about structure? Levi-Strauss had lots of opinions and Derrida just kind of discussed them through a bunch of italicized words. At least Val will be able to help us understand this. What about all the "rupture" talk? I laughed so hard I almost "ruptured" my pants, ok that's a bad one, I'm out.
Posted by: Erin at March 28, 2007 1:49 PMAgreed! I would like to get my hands on that Levi-Strauss article for the pure reason that it seemed like Derrida was more interested in what he said than what Derrida thought. So yeah, I was thinking jeanswear, too. Glad I wasn't the only one. (Wonder if any of our male counterparts had the same thoughts while reading... haha)
Posted by: Karissa at March 29, 2007 2:41 PM