By:

Glenne Hannah Ashley S. Gildore

Jan Rey Gustillo

DeconstructionISM

Jacques Derrida

• French Theorist, philosopher, and writer

• His areas of study include philosophy, literary criticism and literary theory

• Studied Philosophy at a very prestigious school in Paris, Ecole Normale Superieure

• He received a great deal of popularity for his theories and writing style, and equally as much criticism for them

• In 1967, he introduced the theory of Deconstruction

ORIGINS OF DECONSTRUCTION

Derrida’s main influence for the development of this

theory was from the theorist, Martin Heidegger

In his work called Being and Time, Heidegger talks about

“destructuring” of previous ontological concepts such as

time, history, matter, ect. in order to better understand them

BINARY OPPOSITION

• Words have binary opposites like good/evil, mind/body,

speech/writing. Usually one side is valued higher than

the other. This creates difficulties that deconstruction

aims to correct.

• By deconstructing these binary oppositions, we are able

to uncover the foundation.

• Derrida argued that philosophical traditions were

largely “marginalized,” and with the application of

deconstruction, it is possible to express what has been

repressed in these traditions.

COMPARISON

FORMALISM

• Every feature works together to create meaning.

• Critics say that the formalist approach does not give enough consideration to historical and cultural factors.

DECONSTRUCTION

Finds ways that the features of a literary work contradict each other Ignores historical factorsMay also lead to nihilism or relativism

• Deconstructionists look for the ways the

elements in literature contradict each

other.

• Premises:

• Words cannot express meaning.

• Every utterance contains a lie by

omitting all other possible utterances.

• Interpretations are sometimes bizarre and

contradictory.

Deconstructionists focus on how language is

used to achieve power. Since they believe,

in the words of critic David Lehman, that

“there are no truths, only rival

interpretations

BINARY OPPOSITION

• Words have binary opposites like good/evil,

mind/body, speech/writing. Usually one side is

valued higher than the other. This creates

difficulties that deconstruction aims to correct.

• By deconstructing these binary oppositions, we

are able to uncover the foundation.

• Derrida argued that philosophical traditions were

largely “marginalized,” and with the application

of deconstruction, it is possible to express what

has been repressed in these traditions.

HOW IS IT USED IN LITERARY ANALYSIS?

• Used as a tool in narrative analysis

• Starts with a very careful reading that looks for

inconsistency and contradictions in the text

• The results often uncovering of a deeply complex

foundation that is difficult to make sense of

• This is one of the many criticism of Deconstruction,

that it nihilistic and unproductive because it leads to

uncertainty.

Deconstruction may strike you as a

negative, even destructive, critical approach,

and yet its best practitioners are adept at

exposing the inadequacy of much

conventional criticism. By patient analysis,

they can sometimes open up the most

familiar text and find in it fresh and

unexpected significance.

JAPAYUKISAN

Monang Fermin just came from Japan. The only reason why she

came home is because of her father’s death. She worked as a

cleric in bank at Japan but later on was transferred. She

reasoned that her boss in the bank was a chauvinist so she

decided to apply for a new job at a department store. The

night after her father’s burial, Monang and Fidela (her mother)

talked about the land that their father had which would be

under the reform program. Monang became furious and

promised that she will not let it happen. She became irritable

the whole time and her mother was worried and confront her

why she is being unreasonable with everything but she just

reasoned out that she is just tired and needs a rest. She’s been

waiting for a call from her friend Linda and she became

paranoid waiting for a call and a mail.

JAPAYUKISAN

Until one day, her ex boyfriend Franco who married her best

friend visits her in her home. They talked about what

happened in the past and Monang blame Franco for

leaving him without any reasonable reason. But Franco

told her that she owe an explanation to him for what

happened to them. Monang can’t explain what she feels

that time. Then Franco revealed that one time he got a

placement in Bahrain and be flying there through Japan

and wanted to surprise Monang but unfortunately he

couldn’t find the address , but that night he decided to

join his friends to go out and have some fun then he saw

Monang. Monang was shocked hearing this revelation

from Franco. He saw her that night. Later on she

explained to Franco what really happened.

JAPAYUKISANAs everyone knew, she thought her job would be a clerical job

but she only stayed it for just a few months but then she found

out that they wouldn’t give her passport back. She offered to

finish her contract but they wouldn’t and shunted her to

another job in a resort which catered to tourists. Then the

recruiters and backers whom she taught help her were

syndicate and threaten them that if they didn’t do what they

were told their lives will be at stake. With no other choices,

She became a prostitute. But after four years a businessman

found her and save her from the syndicate and get her a decent

job. Franco was also shocked to hear this tragic story from

Monang and asked her to start a new beginning with him, but

Monang denied him and told him that she’ll be back in Japan.

For her, her home is a good place but it isn’t for people like

her. It’s for people without a past, only a future. She told

Franco that

JAPAYUKISAN

The Monang he knew died a longtime ago,

slain in some dark bed in an unnumbered

room, in some nameless street in a strange

land. Franco lose hope that He and

Monang could start anew, she had been a

cold and hard woman and Japan had

turned her into this. The last words that

Monang told Franco is that “If you wish

to keep memories, let them be of Monang.

Not the girl you saw in Japan. Then you’ll

remember her more kindly.”

JAPAYUKISAN

After Franco leave, a mailman arrived and

calls for her name saying that a mail was

send to her. It was the mail that she’s been

waiting for. It is the contract with her job

in japan. But she told the mailman

tonelessly that “There’s no one here by

that name”

ANALYSIS

The story Japayukisan depicts the life of Monang

whom we think is a very successful person

who worked at Japan and had a decent job not

knowing of what really happened to her. The

way she dress and carries herself with a great

deal of poise and confidence shows that she

has a positive life in Japan. The story revolves

around her. She stayed for five years in Japan

and went home because of her father’s death.

ANALYSIS

The whole time of the story Monang has been

very unreasonable with everything and always

emphasizes that she worked hard in

Japan.When being asked of her job in Japan,

she gets angry and furious and don’t want to

talk about it the reason why her mother told her

that she is being unreasonable. Also, she is

being paranoid waiting for a mail which

includes her new contract. The story goes on

until Franco visited her in her home and

confronted her of what happened in the past.

ANALYSIS

Deconstructionists look for the ways the

elements in literature contradict each other. It

is clear in the story that Monang do not want to

stay in Philippines and is very eager to go back

in Japan.

Even though she and Franco had settled their past

and asked her to start a new beginning she still

denied it and determine to renew her contract

but in the end after the mail has arrived she did

not receive it which shows the contradiction.

ANALYSIS

In deconstruction we find the tension and

the contradiction within the text looking

for ideas that don’t really match.

One contradiction showed was when Franco

has been attending the wake of Monang’s

father the whole week while Monang still

didn’t arrive. Franco also asked Neneng

about Monang. But on the day of the

funeral he did not show.

ANALYSIS

Another shows contradiction that leads the

readers to another path is how Monang

describe her Job in Japan. The way she

narrate her job description is believable.

Factors also affects this such as the setting

of the house, the interior design which

shows the social status of their family.