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Mapping the Theoretical World - Coggle Diagram
Mapping the Theoretical World
Structuralism Literary Theory
Linguistic signs are determined by how the signifiers and signified bond.
Focuses on the meaning and connections within the story
Literary meaning is determined by the signs within the story.
Deconstruction Literary Theory
Structuralism looks at the structure of language and the structure of the story whereas deconstruction theory says there is no true structure
Unlike structuralism deconstruction theory says language has no definite or precise meaning, it can change.
Linguistic signs change meaning depending on who says it
Deconstruction does not look at the words written but deeper into what was not written
Focuses on the language of the story
Psychoanalysis
Freud says our sense of "self", actions, thoughts, and beliefs are all determined by our unconscious but will eventually be replaced by our conscious.
Lacan says that the unconscious is the foundation of everything and can not be replaced.
Started out as Humanist Theory under Freud but became a Poststructuralist theory under Lacan
Freud focuses on how a polymorphously preverse child goes from having an unconscious to having a sense of self and becoming an adult.
Lacan focuses on how a child gets the illusion of a self.
Race and Postcolonialism
Race is a cultural structure based on physical characteristics. Race contributes to the concept of self and identity
Colonialism focuses on the concept of identity being a self and an other whereas postcolonialism focuses on broadening the concept of self to include both.
The characteristics of race is a list of biological signifiers which indicate racial stereotypes as signifieds
Postcolonialism looks at a field of study such as literature from the perspective of someone from that culture or country.
Humanist Literary Theory
Author decides the meaning of the story
Moral improvement
Focuses on the Individual self
Literature is a source of knowledge and insight
Formalism
Literature is just words on a page. It is up to the reader to find the deeper meaning
Focuses on human nature as a whole
Literature encourages the reader to think about themselves and the world differently
Queer Theories
Gender and sexuality are systems that contribute to the concept of self and identity
Gender is a system of signs. There are five biological sex markers and there are differences in brain chemistry.
Queer focuses on everything outside the category of heterosexuality