Structuralism

Key Points: Structuralism A structuralist only maps what is there, without outside sources Structuralism is all about the interpretation of the text and making connections within it Pays attention to actual structure of the text, for example how certain words function within a sentence/paragraph Language and Structures of work generate the meaning

How Structuralism Works Start by looking for patterns/oppositions/repetition/etc involving the text’s characters, places, dialogue, or events and any other aspect of the literature Uncover the implications of the patterns, and look for deeper meaning in them, for example relationships between the story’s characters or patterns in dialogue

Example  In William Blake’s "Garden of Love“ he uses terms like “green,” “garden,” and “flowers” and these terms seem to imply “nature,” “Eden,” “growth,” and “life”

Works Cited Henderson, Greig E., and Christopher Brown. “Glossary of Literary Theory.”www.library.utoronto.ca. University of Toronto English Library, 31 Mar. 1997. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Structuralism.html>. Laga, Barry. "Literary Theory: Structuralism." Http://mural.uv.es. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://mural.uv.es/crises/Structuralism.html>.