Diskoers as self-ondermyning: J. Derrida / J. Miles

Abstract

he concept of 'deconstruction' as expounded in J. Derrida's work Of Grammatology has been extensively used as the theoretical framework for the present study on J. Miles's novel Donderdag of Woensdag. An attempt has been made to indicate the usefulness of this reading strategy in the interpretation of the said novel. Donderdag of Woensdag has been selected because in it, as in the case of Of Grammatology, human meaning and value systems are scrutinized by means of a discourse that not only has to continually subvert and deconstruct these systems but also itself as an inseparable and integral part thereof.

Opsomming

As teoretiese raamwerk vir die ondersoek van J. Miles se roman Donderdag of Woensdag word gebruik gemaak van die begrip 'dekonstruksie' soos veral verduidelik in J. Derrida se werk Of Grammatology. Daar word gepoog om aan te toon van watter nut hierdie leesstra­tegie kan wees vir 'n interpretasie van bogenoemde roman. Donderdag of Woensdag is gekies omdat daar, soos in Of Grammatology, die mens se betekenis- en waardesisteme onder die vergrootglas geplaas word deur 'n diskoers wat nie net hierdie sisteme nie, maar ook homself as onlosmaaklike en integrale deel daarvan noodwendig voortdurend moet ondermyn of dekonstrueer.