From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile.
From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics. Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column? Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.
Who
Continuing with the past few weeks’ focus on literary theory and criticism, this week, we focus on Deconstruction, a “[m]ethod of philosophical and literary analysis, derived mainly from the work of Jacques Derrida, that questions the fundamental conceptual distinctions, or ‘oppositions,’ in Western philosophy through a close examination of the language and logic of philosophical and literary texts.”
In other words, “Deconstruction involves the close reading of texts in order to demonstrate that any given text has irreconcilably contradictory meanings, rather than being a unified, logical whole.”
Some notable Deconstructionists include Jacques Derrida and J. Hillis Miller.
What
Some well-known examples of Deconstruction in literature include Of Grammatology by Jacques Derrida and Deconstruction and Criticism by Harold Bloom, Paul De Man, Jacques Derrida, Geoffrey Hartman, and J. Hillis Miller.
Where
These works are based in France and the United States.
When
The novels take place in the 20 and 21-centuries.
Why
These particular texts may be of interest to AU learners who are interested in learning more about literary theory and literary criticism. In particular, this topic may appeal to students in the ENGL program, as well as those in the PHIL and CMNS programs.
How
AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth. Courses related to Deconstruction are available in a variety of disciplines, including ones that may fit into your Degree Works. (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)
AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in ENGL 316: Approaches to Literary Theory and Criticism, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “is an introductory level course designed to familiarize you with a variety of critical perspectives and help you understand literary works more profoundly by integrating literary theory in your response to these works.” (Please note that this course requires several prerequisites, including ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays).
In addition, students may be interested in CMNS 301: Communication Theory and Analysis, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “is intended to provide you with a grounding in the field of communication studies, a relatively new interdisciplinary field that draws many of its theoretical ideas about human communication from psychology, sociology, cultural studies, linguistics, philosophy, and literary studies.” (No prerequisites are required for this course). Happy reading!