Deconstruction (2)
For the deconstructionist, all literary texts deconstruct themselves via binary oppositions that destroy each other. Deconstruction can be described as a theory of reading which aims at undermining the logic of opposition within the text. In the deconstructive reading, binary opposition must be identified. The deconstructionist always locates the point of contradiction imposed by its own realistic form within the text. For deconstructive criticism, nothing happens outside the text. Deconstruction is aimed at what goes on inside the text. Post-structuralism is of the view that text serves as the critical mirror for society. Otherwise, if we accept the system of reading whereby the reader’s knowledge of the author’s socio-political and cultural background informs our reading, then literature rather than being a mirror becomes a shadow.