Structuralism is a theoretical approach that emerged in the mid-20th
century, primarily in the fields of linguistics and anthropology, and later
extended to literary analysis. It emphasizes the study of the underlying
structures and patterns that shape human experience, and it seeks to
uncover the deep structures that underlie the surface phenomena. The
structuralist approach has been widely used in literary analysis,
providing a systematic and analytical framework for examining literary
texts.
II. The Structure of Narrative
Narrative is a fundamental aspect of human experience, and the
structuralist approach provides a useful framework for analyzing it.
Structuralists analyze narrative by breaking it down into its constituent
elements and identifying the patterns and structures that underlie it.
Vladimir Propp's Morphology of the Folktale and Claude Lévi-Strauss's
Structural Analysis of Myth are two examples of structuralist analysis of
narrative. However, structuralism has been criticized for its limitations
in accounting for individual creativity and its overemphasis on the
universal at the expense of the specific.
III. The Structure of Language
Structural linguistics is a branch of linguistics that emerged in the early
20th century, with Ferdinand de Saussure as its founder. Saussure's
theory of language emphasizes the importance of the underlying
structures that govern language, such as the signifier and the signified.
The structuralist approach sees language as a system and a tool for
uncovering hidden structures, and it has been widely used in literary
analysis. However, critics argue that structural linguistics neglects the
social context of language and the role of discourse and power.
In conclusion, the structuralist approach provides a systematic and
analytical framework for examining literary texts, by emphasizing the
study of underlying structures and patterns. The structuralist approach
has been widely used in the analysis of narrative and language,
providing a useful tool for uncovering hidden structures. However, it has
also been criticized for its limitations in accounting for individual
creativity and its neglect of the social context of language. Despite its
limitations, the structuralist approach remains an important and
influential theoretical approach in literary analysis.