Hello Readers!
This blog is a response to a task given by Dilip Barad as a we are having Deconstruction Study in our syllabus, as a part of this task I have Deconstructed a song 'Arziyan' written by Prasoon Joshi and Music Director is A R Rahman.
What is Deconstruction ?
Deconstruction is a philosophical and critical theory approach that emerged in the mid-20th century, primarily associated with the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida. It represents a significant departure from traditional modes of literary and philosophical analysis. Deconstruction challenges the notion of fixed meanings and emphasizes the inherent instability and ambiguity of language and text.
At its core, deconstruction seeks to examine and dismantle binary oppositions and hierarchical structures present in texts, language, and various cultural phenomena. It contends that language is not a transparent medium for expressing objective truths but is, instead, a complex web of signifiers, where meaning is contingent upon context and interpretation
Ferdinand de Saussure and Jacques Derrida are two influential figures in the fields of linguistics and philosophy, and their ideas have had a significant impact on the development of deconstruction as a theory. While there are similarities in their work, there are also important differences in their theories, particularly concerning the nature of language and the process of deconstruction.
Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913):
Saussure was a Swiss linguist known for his work in structural linguistics, particularly his ideas on semiotics and the structure of language.
He emphasized the idea that language is a system of signs, consisting of signifiers (the physical forms of words or symbols) and signifieds (the mental concepts or meanings associated with those forms).
Saussure argued that meaning in language arises from the differences between signs (i.e., the relations between signifiers). This concept of difference is central to his theory of semiotics.
He also introduced the concept of langue (language as a system) and parole (individual speech acts) and highlighted the importance of synchronic (studying language at a particular point in time) analysis in understanding language structure.
There are certain aspects of Saussure's structural linguistics that can be examined in the context of deconstruction:
Signs and Signifiers: Saussure's theory of signs consists of two components: the signifier (the physical form of a word or symbol) and the signified (the mental concept or meaning associated with the signifier). Deconstruction, influenced by Saussurean semiotics, explores the idea that the relationship between signifiers and signifieds is not fixed but can be deconstructed, leading to questions about the stability of meaning.
Binary Oppositions: Saussure's structural linguistics often analyzed language through the concept of binary oppositions (e.g., hot/cold, up/down). Deconstruction, as developed by Derrida, also engages with binary oppositions, showing how they are constructed and deconstructed within texts and how they can reveal hidden hierarchies and contradictions.
Arbitrariness of the Sign: Saussure argued that the relationship between the signifier and signified is arbitrary, meaning there is no inherent connection between a word's form and its meaning. Deconstruction, while not directly derived from this idea, explores the arbitrariness of language and the indeterminacy of meaning.
Jacques Derrida (1930-2004):
Derrida was a French philosopher known for his work in deconstruction, which emerged as a response to structuralism, including Saussure's structural linguistics.
Derrida's work challenged the idea of stable meanings in language and text. He argued that language is inherently unstable and that meaning is always deferred and contingent on context.
Deconstruction, as developed by Derrida, involves closely reading texts to identify and expose the binary oppositions and hierarchical structures within them. It seeks to subvert these structures by showing their inherent contradictions.
Derrida critiqued the notion of a "center" or a fixed point in language, arguing that language is a play of differences without a stable core. He also introduced the concept of "differance" to capture the dual process of difference and deferral in language.
नूर की बारिश में भीगता सा तर आया
नूर की बारिश में-, ओ-ओ-ओ
Binary opposition originated in Saussurean structuralist theory. According to Ferdinand de Saussure, the binary opposition is the means by which the units of language have value or meaning; each unit is defined in reciprocal determination with another term, as in binary code. It is not a contradictory relation but a structural, complementary one. Saussure demonstrated that a sign's meaning is derived from its context (syntagmatic dimension) and the group (paradigm) to which it belongs. An example of this is that one cannot conceive of 'good' if we do not understand 'evil'.
Here in this song, there is Binary opposition of Gender, where there is only presence of a male voice, where song writer has written in a male voice only that means female voice is absent here in this song as a worshiper and as the God himself is written as "Maula" instead of Goddess that is enough to deconstruct it where it was believed that women can not worship the god, wherein this song the line " " is suggesting that the one who is coming to the temple or one should say rather the one whosoever bows down to the feet of God will be blessed with his Kindness and God will Protect them when that is absent here in this song about the one who does not bow down or worship the meaning is clear: God will be punished badly or they would not have a happy life and the Victim is obvious: Female and Female only and Untouchable people who were not allowed to entre in temples even, the reason to their sufferings are considered as the punishment given by the GOD.
Why is God not Female?( click here to read the article)
Such ways of talking about God were only occasional until the past 50 years, when feminist theologians started to persuade churches that traditional religious language unnecessarily excluded women. As Mary Daly, for example, wrote in 1973: "If God is male, then the male is God".
Temples which Prohibited Women's entry(click here to review)
Controversy around The Sabrimala temple(click here to review)
Death penalty is the recommended form of punishment for both male and female apostates for leaving Islam. Apostasy from Islam is not considered a hudud crime. Ḥanbalī school – waiting period not necessary, but may be granted. Apostasy from Islam is considered a hudud crime.
Allâh has promised the hypocrites; men and women, and the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell, therein shall they abide. It will suffice them. Allâh has cursed them and for them is the lasting torment.
No comments:
Post a Comment