Close reading language is inevitable when reading modern texts. Language is a major critical focus in literary studies due to the intellectual movements and theoretical developments that emerged in the 20th century shifting the way literature was analyzed and understood
1. Formalism and Structuralism
Russian Formalism (circa 1910s-1930s) emphasized the formal elements of literature, such as language, structure and style, rather than its content or the author’s biography. This approach laid the groundwork for understanding literature as an autonomous verbal art
Structuralism (circa 1950s-1980s) Influenced by linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, structuralists argued that language is a system of signs. In understanding a literature, language is premised as part of a system, a network, a structure that exists underneath what is spoken and produced in writing. Meaning therefore is constructed through differences within these structures. With language as its main concern, structuralism tends to the theory that neither author or history have any major influence on how meanings are produced
2. Poststructuralism and Deconstruction
Poststructuralism, particularly through the work of theorists like Jacques Derrida, questioned the notion that language can convey consistent and unchanging meaning. The concept of Deconstruction highlighted the fluidity and uncertainty inherent in language, suggesting that text can be interpreted in numerous ways that are never settled. This perspective shifted attention to the processes through which meaning is created and undermined in texts, making language as the key focus in literary critique
3. The Linguistic Turn in Philosophy
In the mid-20th century, the “linguistic turn” in philosophy, linked to thinkers such as Ludwig Wittgenstein deepened the emphasis on language. This movement highlighted that many philosophical issues arise from misinterpretations of language, prompting literary critics to investigate the ways in which language influences human experience and thought.
4. Psychoanalysis and the Subconscious
The influence of psychoanalysis, particularly through Sigmund Freud and later Jacques Lacan, also contributed to the focus on language. Lacan, in particular, saw the unconscious as structured like a language, leading to interpretations of literature that emphasized the symbolic and linguistic dimensions of the psyche
5. Close Reading through the Feminist and Postcolonial Lens
Feminist and postcolonial critics brought attention to the ways in which language can perpetuate power dynamics, marginalization, and identity formation. They explored how literature both reflects and challenges the linguistic structures that sustain gendered and colonial ideologies
6. The Reader-Response Theory as a Frame for Close Reading Language
Reader-response theory shifted focus from the text itself to the reader’s interaction with the text. In modern literature, close reading language is itself a major object of analysis. Language became a focal point as theorists like Stanley Fish argued that meaning is constructed by the reader within the interpretive communities that shape language use.
7. Discourse Analysis and New Historicism in Close Reading Language
In discourse analysis, language is viewed as a medium through which power operates in society. New Historicism and Cultural Materialism further emphasized the role of language in constructing social realities, considering literature as part of a broader network of discourses.
These movements are various close reading language frameworks recognized as central element in the construction of meaning, identity, power, and culture in literature.
