The Postmodern Text: Answer to the Problem of Meaning
Raunak Kumar
Publication: Volume 2 Issue 3
Abstract
Postmodernism uncovers an ugly face of semantic dominance of certain stereotypical narratives over the ‘others,’ often discarded narratives of empathy and equality. This paper focuses on some of the debates in literary theory where the philosophy of metaphysics is slowly replaced with a philosophy of the consciousness. It attempts to highlight hidden presuppositions in all former criteria of textual judgment in Hermeneutics, New Criticism, etc. Another significant argument in support of Postmodernism is the analogous similarity drawn between Sarte’s Existentialism and Derrida’s methodology of Deconstruction. By using a specimen postmodern text, the paper attempts to describe the ways in which the text itself destabilizes stereotypes of character, structure, and language. Representation is a double-edged sword, false or true, it is a fallacy in either case. Destabilizing the base (i.e. language) of representation allows flexibility and complexity in identity.
Keywords: Phenomenology, Sartre, Postmodern, Postmodernism, Text, Consciousness, Deconstruction, Existentialism, Semiotics, Heidegger, Husserl, Intentionality, Mrs. Dalloway, Sexing the Cherry, Defamiliarisation, Subjectivity
Raunak Kumar (raun.arya@gmail.com) is pursuing Bachelor’s degree in English from Ramjas College, University of Delhi. His research interests include language and its influence on consciousness. He has been exploring the relationship between philosophy of language and philosophy of realism; familiarizing himself with ins and outs of phenomenology and semantics; and he likes to gather knowledge on varied subjects such as sociology, anthropology, technology in order to establish their connection with linguistics. He occasionally tries his hands on ironic poetry and can be found pampering street dogs in the evening on his way to the tea stall.