ΙΙ. Μ.Α., Contemporary Literary Criticism: Unit V
"The Deconstructive Angel" by M.Н. Abrams
Introduction:
"Deconstructive Angel" is an essay written by M. H. Abrams, a
renowned literary critic. The essay was published in 1977 and offers a
critique of deconstruction, a popular literary theory at the time. M.H.
Abrams delivered "The Deconstructive Angel" as a presidential address
to the Modern Language Association (MLA) in December 1976. In this
speech M.H. Abrams shows his response to the growing influence of
deconstructionist literary theory, particularly the ideas of thinkers like
Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, and J. Hillis Miller, which were gaining
prominence in literary studies during that time.
Abrams' Critique of Deconstruction
In the 1970s, Deconstruction, became a major force in literary criticism,
particularly in American academic circles. Deconstruction is a way of
reading texts that questions traditional interpretations. It suggests that
words and meanings are not fixed and can be understood in many ways.
Abrams, who was a historian of literary criticism and a leading advocate
of New Criticism, defended the idea that texts have stable meanings.
Deconstruction, on the other hand, challenged these views by arguing
that meaning is always shifting and never fully settled. "The
Deconstructive Angel" directly challenges the idea that meaning is not
stable in deconstruction. Abrams argues that deconstruction provides
useful ideas about how language functions. However, he believes it can
weaken literary criticism. This weakening happens because
deconstruction denies the importance of what the author intended.
