Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar, student of MK Bhavnagar University. This blog i have written as a response to Thinking Activity, Which is a Part of my academic Work. Which we get after each unit. In this blog, i am going to discuss about my understanding on deconstruction and method of deconstruction with the chosen examples.
What is deconstruction :-
According to Oxford Dictionary, "Deconstruction means a method of critical analysis of philosophical and literary language which emphasizes the internal workings of language and conceptual systems, the relational quality of meaning, and the assumptions implicit in forms of expression."
The term deconstruction refers to approaches to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. Deconstruction doesn't mean to break something, but it is about to analysing something in a smaller parts and in more deeper way. Deconstruction by deviding the text into parts, try to break assumption that text does have one particular meaning. Here, it is very important to understand that deconstruction is not similar to destruction. Deconstruction is not a negative term, not a positive either. But we can say it is more positive because deconstruction doesn't try to breakdown something but it helps to change views of someone about something.
To understand the term Deconstruction, it is very important to understand it's etymology.
Origin and development of "Deconstruction" :-
The term Deconstruction was originated by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida in 1960s. The seeds of Deconstruction sprouted from Martin Heideggar (1889-1976). Derrida take reference from Heideggar's project that he wanted to translates into french from German. Derrida tries to explain his concept of Deconstruction to his Japanese friend in a letter named professor Izutsu on 10 July 1983. Deconstruction is a form of Literary and Philosophical analysis.Then later on in 1970s the term applied by Derrida along with Paul de Man, J. Hillis Miller, and Barbara Johnson with other scholars. The term started being use in various fields from 1980s like areas of the humanities, social science,philosophy,literature,law, psychoanalysis, architecture, anthropology, theology, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, political theory, historiography, and film theory. And in late 20s it was being used by nihilism and frivolous skepticism.
In literature Deconstruction mostly used in the field of structuralism and criticism.Beginning in France in the 1950s, the structuralist movement in anthropology analyzed various cultural phenomena as general systems of “signs” and attempted to develop “metalanguages” of terms and concepts in which the different sign systems could be described. While explaining the sign Derrida introduced new word "DifferAnce".
Derrida argues are based on distinctions or binary oppositions. And this conditions are responsible for undoing the texts. And the term that he uses for this is "DifferAnce".Derrida considered language as an ever-changing movement. Therefore, he substituted the diachronic term “unmotivation” for arbitrariness. He also made up a word: différance to replace différence, because the word différence cannot fully explain the correspondence between word and meaning from a diachronic perspective.
Derrida combines both words difference + Deference and creats a new word differance.A concept introduced by Derrida, differance is a pun on “difference” and “deferment”, and is that attribute of language, by which meaning is generated because of a word's difference from other words in a signifying system, and at the same time, meaning is inevitably and infinitely deferred.DifferAnce is not an idea or concept but a force which makes differentiation possible , which makes postponing possible.DifferAnce is a force which make postponing possible.
Structure, sign and play in the discourse of the human science is the a paper read on structuralism at Johns Hopkins in 1966 by philosopher Jacques Derrida.The lecture is widely cited as the starting point for post-structuralism in the United States. Derrida said that structuralism when first began it begans like criticism and attack on metaphysics and science. On one hand structuralism is criticizing the metaphysics and science but on the other hand it is using a same assumptions.criticism is movie around the tradition for example Heideggar said that Friedrich Nietzche was last metaphysics but Derrida said Heideggar is the last metaphysician.this how criticism never go out of tradition.
Criticism is happened because of language. Because language coded assumptions into it. So in final meaning of language never be achieved but it can only be promised and differed.so difference make ultimate interpretation. when critics make criticism on something they use same language and same language leads to same ideas and assumptions.when one can start attacking or criticising something they start coping that in a sense. And according to Derrida that is happened because of language, because they are using same language. This how language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique.
Derrida said, "language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique".
Now further let me deconstruct some Advertisements as an example of deconstruction.
1) Advertisement of Fair and Handsome Beauty Cream.
This advertisement is of men fairness cream named Fair and Handsome Fairness cream. If we observe language of both this ad of same product, with the feminist point of view, it becomes problematic. In both the advertisement we have dialogues like, "mard hoke ladkiyo vali fairness cream!" Tone of this sentence seems very ocward and creat inferiority complex for women. This advertisement somehow seems as it is supporting male dominated environment. And if men do something or use something which belongs to women, it is becomes shameful for him which we find in this advertisement. This also reflect society where women and men are still not considered as a similar, where superiority of men still exist.
2] Fair and Lovely Cream advertisement :-
In this video we have Advertisements of Women fairness cream named Fair and Lovely. In this video they include all the advertisements of this product since 2005 to recent one. In all this advertisements we find that the women is portrait as a black and later on turns into fair by applying Fair and Lovely fairness cream. But in between this we find hidden sign that when she is black she feel inferior and lack of confidence, while she turnes into fair she also gain confidence and becomes attraction for other girls. Somewhere this idea we can connect with Colonial concept.
When Britishers started colonizing people, they think they are superior than others because they are fair. Their fairness is because of god made them from his/her own skin while all other black or whitish skinned people are made up of waste. Same thought they poured into the mind of black and whitish people and they also started believing themselves inferior and them to superior. But later on people understand that this is untruth. After decolonization this white people leave india but still if we see unconsciously that white superiority comes into our movies, advertisements and in our social life also. This Fair and Lovely product's advertisements proving it. In this advertisement we find how after becoming fair, women started getting attention and becomes confident. Also she started getting job, and becoming successful in love etc etc. This showing that if one can be fair then only all this things are possible, and opportunities and love is not for black skinned people. Also this advertisements are boosting racism.
3] Surf Excel - Detergent powder's Advertisement :-
This both are the advertisements of detergent powder named Surf excel. In first advertisement there is a boy who is convincing his coach to not leave coaching. And in second video the boy trying to convince elder boys to let them play in ground. But in both the advertisements, boys got stain on his clothes. we find one common dialogue in all the advertisements of Surf excel detergent powder.that is, "Daag Achhe Hain".
This sentence is very much problematic. One can read Daag (stain) as a Cynicism and social perversion. Which according to society and law is not normal and acceptable at all. This advertisement supporting Nastiness in society. This one sentence can make advertisement negative and anti - national that supporting a crimes in society. This how we can deconstruct the advertisement.
I hope my blog will be helpful to you and easy to understand concept of deconstruction and examples as well. Thank you!
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