BSEDENG 9 Final Exam - Deconstructionism and Literary Criticism

Deconstructionist Jacques Derrida coined which key term to describe the deferral and difference of meaning?

• Differance

• Binary Opposition

• Logocentrism

• Metaphysics of Presence

Which phrase best captures 'undecidability' in deconstruction?

• Meaning is always clear

• Meaning remains open and unstable

• Author's intent dominates meaning

• Texts have one fixed interpretation

Logocentrism refers to a preference for which of the following?

• The written text

• A privileged presence

• Multiple interpretations

• Author-reader dialogue

The double movement of deconstruction consists of:

• Building structures and affirming binaries

• Simultaneous affirmation and undoing of meaning

• Authorial intent plus reader response

• Summarizing and historicizing

Which example best illustrates deconstructive analysis?

• Identifying rhyme schemes

• Summarizing plot

• Exposing contradictions

• Appreciating author's seriousness

In analyzing a novel's ideology, a deconstructive critic will most likely:

• Accept its dominant meaning

• Praise its moral stance

• Ignore conflicting passages

• Reveal limits and provide alternatives

Finding instability in a seemingly straightforward claim in a text demonstrates:

• Authorial intent

• Undecidability of meaning

• Aesthetic closure

• Structural consistency

Deconstruction treats binary oppositions (e.g., speech/writing) by:

• Emphasizing the privileged among the binary

• Showing hierarchy and revealing tension

• Removing all meaning

• Confirming fixed meanings

The instability of meaning is most clearly shown when deconstruction highlights:

• Fixed grammatical usage

• Contradictory interpretations

• Moral lessons

• Historical dates

How does identification of binary oppositions help reveal ideology?

• Shows text's unity

• Reveals dominant value

• Simplifies narrative

• Confirms moral outlook