POSTSTRUCTURALISM, DECONSTRUCTION and POSTMODERNISM

Whereas structuralists assume that they can understand the meaning of a text by studying its structural codes, poststructuralists seek to prove that what a text claims to say and what it actually says are two different things. Prior to Poststructuralism or deconstruction, most theories maintained that the meaning of a text could be found. They held modernist views regarding the world which were later challenged by poststructuralists, deconstruction and postmodernism. Modernism or enlightenment views: stemming …

…a text would lack presence (it does not have meaning in isolation but must be differed and deferred). Therefore no text can simply mean one thing as all meaning is based on difference. Steps to a deconstructive reading: 1-find the binary operations in a text 2-comment on the values beyond these operations 3-reverse there binary operations 4-dismantle previously held beliefs and worldviews 5-accept the possibility of multiple meanings 6-allow meaning of text to be undecidable