การวิจารณ์วรรณกรรมแนวรื้อสร้าง : แนวคิด ทฤษฎี และแนวทางการวิจารณ์

Deconstruction : Concept, Theory and Approaches to Literary Criticism

Abstract

This study aims to examine these aspects of deconstruction: theories and concepts of deconstruction. The study compiled the knowledge from books on literary theories and literary criticism theories and trialed such knowledge with the analysis of two Thai literary works: Lok Bai Lek Kong Salman by Kanokpong Songsompan, and Khamphiphaksa by Chat Kopchitti.

The analyses reveal that the primary goal of deconstruction is to demonstrate the operations of domination and oppression ideologies by attributing to period-specific power ideologies. In terms of applications in literary studies, literary criticism may embark on exploring the hierarchies of binary oppositions in the textual evidence.  This exploration is to indicate that while the texts communicate the binary oppositions in which one element is superior to the other, there are some other textual elements that reveal contradictory logics. The tryout study of the two literary works shows that the texts usually have two layers of meaning. The first level is the key meaning which is conveyed through the story plots. The other level is the opposite meaning which is opaque in the specific logics of the stories. In Lok Bai Lek Kong Salman, mind/material is the essential binary opposition which is additionally found to be determined by hierarchical ideologies, in particular social status promotion. In Khamphiphaksa, the essential binary oppositions are rurality, non-materialization, sentimental value/urbanity, materialization, spiritual degradation and essence/appearance. In conclusion, at the plot layer of meaning, the texts present the binary oppositions by foregrounding the first element over the other one. However, the analysis of the specific logics points to the opposite direction, that is, the second element hiddenly given precedence over the first one.

Keywords: deconstruction, literary theory, literary criticism