LITERARY

DECONSTRUCTION
Alpha Philian C. Dellosa
 LITERARY DECONSTRUCTION

As pioneered by the Algerian- French philosopher Jacques

Derrida, deconstruction is an approach to understanding the relationship
between text and meaning.
 LITERARY DECONSTRUCTION

Derrida's approach consisted of conducting readings of texts looking for

things that run counter to the intended meaning or structural unity of a
particular text.
 GROUP ACTIVITY #1: EGG ON A
WALL
• Using the building blocks given to you, build a wall with at least 3 layers.
• Put the egg given to you on top of the wall you’ve built.
• Try to make the egg stay on top of your wall for at least 40 seconds.
• First group to achieve the task will be given five points each.
Was it easy or hard to put the egg on the wall
and hold it still?
Do you think the wall is the appropriate place
for an egg?
HUMPTY DUMPTY
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.
What are the strongest words you’ve found in
Humpty Dumpty?
 Sat

Great

Fall

Together
Humpty Dumpty is not just another nursery rhyme.

It also depicts the danger of “hubris” or pride.

Why is Humpty Dumpty a symbol of pride?

Because as an egg, he simply does not belong on

the wall.

By sitting on the wall, he has put himself in a very

dangerous situation.

He tried to go beyond his limits as an egg, for an

egg does not belong on a wall.
In fact, “fall” is the most important word in the
poem.

It describes Humpty Dumpty’s precipitous decline

and his consequent destruction.
 TIPS IN EFFECTIVE LITERARY
DECONSTRUCTION
Look for verbs, they are usually the symbols.
By simply identifying the strongest words used in a particular
literary piece, you are already applying the discipline of literary
deconstruction.

This will easily give the picture of what these metaphors are all
about.
 TIPS IN EFFECTIVE LITERARY
DECONSTRUCTION
Feel the mood of the piece
Writers usually reflect what they feel with their choice of words, be it
negative or positive, or both.

Look for irony

In literary deconstruction, ironic matters or the opposites sometimes
stands for what the writer tries to say.
There are a plethora of meaning behind a writer’s
piece, but you could easily get down to it through
deconstruction.
 GROUP ACTIVITY #2: LET’S DO IT
• Create a four- liner poetry like Humpty Dumpty based on your interest (e.g.
fashion, sports, politics, love)
• The write- ups will be critiqued and deconstructed by other groups.
• Each critiquing group will write their deconstructive theories of the piece
being presented.
• Discuss a brief explanation about your poetry.
• The group with the nearest deconstruction theory about the written poetry
will be given 30 points in their performance.
 HOUSE RULES
• There should be no duplicated topics, make sure your topic or interest is
different from other groups.
• Strictly four- liner poetry
• Phrases per lines are not metered, it could be free versed so long as it fits four
lines.
• Groups who have not finished writing within 10 minutes are disqualified.
• Use respectful words when critiquing others works.
 CATEGORY 10pts. 6pts. 3pt 1pt
Identification Was able to Was able to Was able to Was not able to
identify all of the identify majority identify some of identify any of
leading/ strong of the leading/ the leading/ the leading/
words of the strong words of strong words of strong words of
writer the writer the writer the writer

Theory Was able to Was able to Was able to Was not able to
exactly guess/ guess/ theorize guess/ theorize guess/ theorize
theorize the point an identical idea some point of the point of view
of view of the to the point of view of the writer of the writer
writer view of the writer

Format The content of The content of The content of The content of

the piece strictly the piece the piece the piece
adheres to the exceeded one exceeded two to exceeded more
house rules of word thus three words thus than five words
four- liner poetry creating a fifth creating a fifth thus creating a
line line fifth line
 DEVELOPING MASTERY

1. What have you observed on the literary works of

each group?

2. What were the unique features and requirements in

composing texts that were used by your classmates?
 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF
CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN DAILY
LIVING
How does Literary Deconstruction affect your way of
reading and thinking?

How does effective literary deconstruction enables

you to write better?
 MAKING GENERALIZATIONS

What were the metaphoric feelings and phrases used

by your classmates in their piece?
 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR
APPLICATION

Read the poem Crumbling is not an Instant’s Act by

Emily Dickinson and write a literary deconstruction
about it. (Minimum of 150 words maximum of 500
words)