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Structuralism Approach: By: Lady Lyn S. Paguio Maed - English

Structuralism is a literary theory that views a text as a system of signs and focuses on underlying patterns and relationships rather than historical context. It considers how elements of a work relate to the whole structure and each other. Structuralist critics analyze works by examining elements like characterization, plot, vocabulary, and sentence structure rather than the author's intentions or social context. They explore parallels, echoes, and contrasts within a text to understand how meaning is constructed.

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609 views

Structuralism Approach: By: Lady Lyn S. Paguio Maed - English

Structuralism is a literary theory that views a text as a system of signs and focuses on underlying patterns and relationships rather than historical context. It considers how elements of a work relate to the whole structure and each other. Structuralist critics analyze works by examining elements like characterization, plot, vocabulary, and sentence structure rather than the author's intentions or social context. They explore parallels, echoes, and contrasts within a text to understand how meaning is constructed.

Uploaded by

kristen caalim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Structuralism Approach

By: LADY LYN S. PAGUIO


MaEd - English
Objectives:

• Define what is structuralism theory and approach;


• Appreciate various literary pieces in the structuralism
lens;
• And apply structuralism theory and approach in
understanding/analyzing literary piece.
STRUCTURALISM APPROACH
– According to Poetry Foundation
Structuralism

A movement of thought in the humanities, widespread in


anthropology, linguistics, and literary theory, and influential in
the 1950s and ’60s.
Structuralism

Based primarily on the linguistic theories of Ferdinand de


Saussure, structuralism considered language as a system of
signs and signification, the elements of which are
understandable only in relation to each other and to the system.
Structuralism
In literary theory, structuralism challenged the belief that a
work of literature reflected a given reality; instead, a text was
constituted of linguistic conventions and situated among other
texts. Structuralist critics analyzed material by examining
underlying structures, such as characterization or plot, and
attempted to show how these patterns were universal and could
thus be used to develop general conclusions about both
individual works and the systems from which they emerged.
Ferdinand Saussure
Ferdinand Saussure

is regarded by many as the creator of the


modern theory of structuralism, to which his
langue and parole are integral. He believed
that a word's meaning is based less on the
object it refers to and more in its structure.
Ferdinand Saussure
Saussure introduced Structuralism in Linguistics, marking
a revolutionary break in the study of language, which had
till then been historical and philological.

Understanding meaning to be relational, being produced


by the interaction between various signifiers and
signified(s), he held that meaning cannot be understood in
isolation.
WHAT IS STRUCTURALISM
APPROACH IN LITERATURE?
In literary theory, structuralism challenged the
belief that a work of literature reflected a given
reality; instead, a text was constituted of linguistic
conventions and situated among other
texts. ... Structuralism regarded language as a
closed, stable system, and by the late 1960s it had
given way to poststructuralism.
Structuralism is a method of interpreting and
analyzing such things as language, literature, and
society, which focuses on contrasting ideas or
elements of structure and attempts to show how
they relate to the whole structure.
Structuralism focuses on literature as a
system of signs in which meaning is
constructed within a context. Words inscribed
with meaning may be compared to other
words and structures to determine their
meaning.
WHAT DO STRUCTURALISTS
DO?
Structuralists treat language as a “system of
signs.” Structuralists explore parallels,
echoes, reflections, patterns, and contrasts.
STRUCTURALIST APPROACH
IN ANALYZING POEM
Structuralism is so dependent upon a
background in linguistics, semiotics, and
other relatively esoteric elements that is very
difficult to explain its use in literary criticism.
When a structuralist critic looks at a poem,
for example, they are not looking to
interpret the work as the product of the
poet’s state of mind at a particular time or
as a reflection of the period in which poem
was written.
Historical, social, economic, and political concerns
are not important to structuralism, instead, a
structuralist critic looks at the structure of a poem
(e.g. sonnet, villanelle), its vocabulary and sentence
structure, and its use of metaphorical language.
Structuralism focuses on what intrinsic to the
work (that is, only what is within the poem
itself) and ignores extrinsic matter.
WHAT ARE THE TWO (2) MAJOR
CHARACTERISTICS OF
STRUCTURALISM?
They have two aspects: signifier and signified,
signifier is the 'material' aspect and signified is the
conceptual aspect. (10) Barthes and Levi-Strauss
have extended linguistics to other areas of
semiotics. (11) All in all, structuralism is a
method of identifying the underlying structure or
logic of general meanings.
Denotation
tends to be described as the
definitional, 'literal', 'obvious' or
'commonsense' meaning of a
sign.
Connotation
The suggested meaning of the sign
and the culture conventions
associated with sign.
SYMBOLISM

An action, person, place,


word, or object can all have
a symbolic meaning. 
Example:

When an author wants to suggest a certain


mood or emotion, he can also
use symbolism to hint at it, rather than
just blatantly saying it.
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,


And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN By Robert Frost
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh


Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
1. What is the
symbolism of the title?
2. What is the impact of the first two
words “Two roads” in the poem?
3. The rhyme scheme in the first stanza is

A. ABAAB
B. ABABB
C. ABBAB
D. ABBAA
4. How many stanzas can we
find in the poem? And what is
it called?
5. Point out imagery that you
can find from the poem. How
are these imagery contribute to
the meaning of the poem?

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