Poststructuralism and Deconstruction: Explore Literary Theory

Question 1

Which of the following is a central concept in poststructuralist theory?

Accepted Answer

Meaning is constructed through language and is not fixed.

Answer

Meaning is inherent in the text and can be determined by the author.

Answer

The author's intention is the sole determinant of a text's meaning.

Answer

Texts have a single, immutable meaning that can be objectively identified.

Question 2

Who is widely recognized as the pioneer of deconstruction?

Accepted Answer

Jacques Derrida

Answer

Michel Foucault

Answer

Judith Butler

Answer

Roland Barthes

Question 3

Which fundamental principle of poststructuralism suggests that meaning is not fixed, but rather constructed through language and interpretation?

Accepted Answer

The belief that language constructs our reality

Answer

The idea that meaning is fixed and objective

Answer

The notion that language is a system of signs that refers to an external reality

Answer

The idea that the author's intention is the sole determinant of a text's meaning

Question 4

According to Jacques Derrida, the relationship between signifier and signified is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

The signifier and signified are inseparable and interdependent, with no fixed or essential meaning

Answer

The signifier is a representation of the signified

Answer

The signified is the meaning of the signifier

Answer

The signifier is more important than the signified

Question 5

How does Michel Foucault's concept of discourse relate to power?

Accepted Answer

Discourse is a form of social control that shapes our thoughts and actions, reflecting and reinforcing existing power structures

Answer

Discourse is a neutral and objective representation of reality

Answer

Discourse is a tool for individuals to express their unique perspectives, unaffected by power dynamics

Answer

Discourse has no connection to power

Question 6

Which of the following texts is considered a notable example of poststructuralist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Poetry" edited by Paul Hoover

Answer

The Anxiety of Influence" by Harold Bloom

Answer

Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi

Answer

The Interpretation of Dreams" by Sigmund Freud

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of poststructuralist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Focus on the author's intention as the primary determinant of meaning

Answer

Emphasis on textual indeterminacy and the rejection of fixed meanings

Answer

Rejection of binary oppositions and the exploration of multiple and contradictory interpretations

Answer

Attention to the role of power in shaping meaning and the production of knowledge

Question 8

Which tenet is NOT associated with poststructuralism?

Accepted Answer

Belief in the existence of inherent truths within literary texts

Answer

Rejection of fixed binary oppositions

Answer

Emphasis on the reader's active role in constructing meaning

Answer

Decentralization of the author's role

Question 9

According to Jacques Derrida, how is the meaning of a text constructed?

Accepted Answer

It is continually deferred and constructed through a process of interpretation.

Answer

It is fixed and unchanging.

Answer

It is solely determined by the author's intention.

Answer

It is dependent solely on the historical and cultural context.

Question 10

What is the primary focus of Michel Foucault's work on discourse?

Accepted Answer

The connection between knowledge and the exercise of power

Answer

The influence of language on our understanding of the world

Answer

The evolution of literary genres throughout history

Answer

The role of the unconscious mind in the production of texts

Question 11

How does deconstruction challenge conventional notions of authorship?

Accepted Answer

It emphasizes the role of the reader in shaping the text's meaning.

Answer

It posits that the author retains exclusive ownership over the meaning of the text.

Answer

It argues that the author's presence is completely erased from the text.

Answer

It denies the very existence of the author.

Question 12

When analyzing a literary text using poststructuralist and deconstructionist approaches, which of the following is a primary focus?

Accepted Answer

Exploring the text's connections to power dynamics

Answer

Determining the author's intended meaning

Answer

Establishing a singular, definitive interpretation

Answer

Disregarding the historical and cultural context of the text

Question 13

Indeterminacy of meaning is a key concept in which theorist's theory of deconstruction?

Accepted Answer

Jacques Derrida

Answer

Michel Foucault

Answer

Roland Barthes

Answer

Judith Butler

Question 14

According to Michel Foucault, what is the primary function of power in society?

Accepted Answer

To regulate and control discourse

Answer

To ensure social equality

Answer

To suppress dissent

Answer

To promote individual freedom

Question 15

Which of the following texts is widely regarded as a seminal work of poststructuralist literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

Roland Barthes's 'S/Z'

Answer

James Joyce's 'Ulysses'

Answer

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost'

Answer

Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse'

Question 16

How does poststructuralism challenge traditional notions of truth?

Accepted Answer

It highlights the constructed, unstable, and subjective nature of meaning

Answer

It endorses a single, objective truth

Answer

It focus on the historical and cultural context of texts

Question 17

Deconstruction, as theorized by Jacques Derrida, aims to:

Accepted Answer

Uncover the hidden assumptions and biases within texts

Answer

Impose a single, definitive interpretation

Answer

Establish the literal meaning of words

Question 18

How has poststructuralism influenced contemporary literary criticism?

Accepted Answer

It has shifted the focus from authorial intent to the reader's experience and the social and cultural contexts of texts

Answer

It has reduced the importance of textual analysis

Answer

It has led to a decline in the study of traditional literary forms

Question 19

Which of the following is a key concept in Michel Foucault's analysis of power?

Accepted Answer

Discourse

Answer

Economics

Answer

Class

Answer

Gender

Question 20

How does Jacques Derrida's concept of the 'trace' relate to his theory of deconstruction?

Accepted Answer

It signifies the simultaneous presence and absence of meaning, reflecting the instability and openness of texts

Answer

It refers to the reader's interpretation

Answer

It symbolizes the origin of a text

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of poststructuralist theory?

Accepted Answer

Emphasis on objective reality

Answer

Focus on language and discourse

Answer

Rejection of binary oppositions

Answer

Subjectivity of meaning

Question 22

What is a central concept in Jacques Derrida's theory of deconstruction?

Accepted Answer

Logocentrism

Answer

Realism

Answer

Structuralism

Answer

Essentialism

Question 23

According to Michel Foucault, how is power best understood?

Accepted Answer

As a dynamic and pervasive force operating through social relationships.

Answer

As residing solely within individual agency.

Answer

As rooted in economic determinism.

Answer

As concentrated exclusively within institutions.

Question 24

What is the primary goal of deconstruction as a critical method?

Accepted Answer

To expose and challenge the inherent assumptions and binary oppositions within texts.

Answer

To reconstruct the author's original intention.

Answer

To establish objective interpretations of literary works.

Question 25

In Foucault's view, what is the primary function of discourse?

Accepted Answer

To shape and control knowledge within a specific historical context.

Answer

To express individual thoughts and feelings.

Answer

To reflect objective truths about the world.

Question 26

What does Derrida's concept of 'différance' imply about meaning?

Accepted Answer

Meaning is perpetually deferred and never fully realized.

Answer

Meaning is accessible through objective analysis.

Answer

Meaning is determined by the author's intention.

Answer

Meaning is fixed and stable within language.

Question 27

Which literary movement has been most significantly influenced by poststructuralist thought?

Accepted Answer

Postmodernism

Answer

Victorianism

Answer

Romanticism

Answer

Modernism

Question 28

What concept does Foucault's use of the 'panopticon' illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Disciplinary power and constant surveillance.

Answer

Economic determinism.

Answer

The death of the author.

Answer

Logocentrism.

Question 29

What is a common criticism of poststructuralism?

Accepted Answer

It can lead to subjective and relativistic interpretations of texts, potentially undermining objective analysis.

Answer

It ignores the role of language in shaping meaning.

Answer

It reinforces traditional hierarchies of power.

Question 30

How does Derrida characterize the relationship between language and reality?

Accepted Answer

He argues that language does not reflect reality directly but instead constructs it through arbitrary systems of meaning.

Answer

He believes it is based on universal principles.

Answer

He considers it unimportant to literary analysis.

Answer

He views it as direct and transparent.

Question 31

What does Foucault's concept of 'archaeology' refer to?

Accepted Answer

The historical investigation of how discourses emerge, change, and shape knowledge.

Answer

The study of ancient civilizations.

Answer

The search for universal truths in literature.