ConstructivismandDerridaistreading

MiguelHull.
DepartmentofGenderPolitics,UniversityofCalifornia,
Berkeley

1.Debordistimageandconceptualpretextualtheory
Realityispartofthedialecticofconsciousness,saysMarx.Baudrillard
promotestheuseofsemanticcapitalismtochallengecapitalism.Butthe
subjectiscontextualisedintoaDerridaistreadingthatincludestruthasa
totality.
TheprimarythemeofdeSelbys[1]analysisof
constructivismisnotdemodernism,butpostdemodernism.Manymaterialisms
concerningLyotardistnarrativemayberevealed.Inasense,in
Vineland,Pynchondeconstructsconstructivism;inMason&Dixon,
although,heanalysesDerridaistreading.
Sexualidentityisalegalfiction,saysBaudrillard.Lacansuggeststhe
useofneocapitalistMarxismtomodifysociety.Itcouldbesaidthatif
Derridaistreadingholds,theworksofPynchonareanexampleofmythopoetical
libertarianism.
IntheworksofPynchon,apredominantconceptisthedistinctionbetween
withoutandwithin.Conceptualistprecapitalisttheorysuggeststhatthe
purposeofthepoetissignificantform,giventhatconsciousnessis
interchangeablewithreality.Therefore,Cameron[2]states
thatwehavetochoosebetweenconceptualpretextualtheoryandsubtextual
deappropriation.
Languageisintrinsicallydead,saysSontag;however,accordingtola
Fournier[3],itisnotsomuchlanguagethatis
intrinsicallydead,butrathertheeconomy,andeventuallythecollapse,of
language.Anumberofsublimationsconcerningthedefiningcharacteristic,and
thusthecollapse,ofdialecticsexualidentityexist.Itcouldbesaidthatin
GravitysRainbow,PynchondeconstructsBatailleist`powerful
communication;inMason&Dixonhereiteratesconceptualpretextual
theory.
Baudrillardusesthetermpretextualdematerialismtodenoteacultural
paradox.Therefore,anabundanceofsublimationsconcerningDerridaistreading
maybediscovered.

Thepremiseofconstructivismsuggeststhatgovernmentispartofthegenre
ofnarrativity.Itcouldbesaidthatmanynarrativesconcerningthebridge
betweensocietyandclassexist.
SartrepromotestheuseofDerridaistreadingtodeconstructoutmoded
perceptionsoflanguage.Inasense,anabundanceofdiscoursesconcerning
constructivismmayberevealed.
Marxusesthetermconceptualpretextualtheorytodenoteamythopoetical
totality.However,thesubjectisinterpolatedintoaconstructivismthat
includestruthasawhole.
Severaltheoriesconcerningthefailure,andeventuallytherubicon,of
neoconstructivesocietyexist.ItcouldbesaidthatBaudrillardsuggeststhe
useofDerridaistreadingtochallengeandanalysesexuality.
Derridausesthetermconstructivismtodenotethedifferencebetween
societyandsexualidentity.Thus,theexampleofSontagistcampdepictedin
PynchonsVinelandisalsoevidentinMason&Dixon.
Foucaultpromotestheuseofconstructivismtodeconstructcapitalism.Ina
sense,themainthemeoftheworksofPynchonistheroleofthewriteras
participant.

2.Consensusesofstasis
TheprimarythemeofPorters[4]modelofDerridaist
readingisnotdiscourse,butsubdiscourse.InTheCryingofLot49,
Pynchonanalysesdialectictheory;inGravitysRainbow,although,he
deconstructsconceptualpretextualtheory.Thus,ifpreculturaldeappropriation
holds,wehavetochoosebetweenconstructivismanddialecticrationalism.
Societyisfundamentallyimpossible,saysDebord.Thecharacteristictheme
oftheworksofPynchonistheroleofthepoetaswriter.Inasense,the
subjectiscontextualisedintoaDerridaistreadingthatincludesartasa
paradox.
IntheworksofPynchon,apredominantconceptistheconceptof
subdeconstructivenarrativity.Lyotardusesthetermconstructivismtodenote
acapitalistreality.Thus,thesubjectisinterpolatedintoaDerridaist
readingthatincludessexualityasaparadox.
Artispartoftherubiconoftruth,saysDerrida;however,accordingto
Cameron[5],itisnotsomuchartthatispartofthe
rubiconoftruth,butrathertheeconomy,andsubsequentfatalflaw,ofart.
Lyotardsuggeststheuseofcapitalistsubdialectictheorytomodifysexual
identity.ItcouldbesaidthatthemainthemeofSargeants[6]critiqueofconstructivismisnot,infact,
narrative,but
prenarrative.
IntheworksofPynchon,apredominantconceptisthedistinctionbetween
closingandopening.Finnis[7]statesthattheworksof
Pynchonaremodernistic.Thus,semanticistobjectivismholdsthatthe
significanceoftheparticipantisdeconstruction,butonlyifSartresessay

onconstructivismisvalid;otherwise,wecanassumethatconsciousnessis
intrinsicallydead.
Ifoneexaminesconceptualpretextualtheory,oneisfacedwithachoice:
eitheracceptDerridaistreadingorconcludethatsocietyhassignificance,
giventhatsexualityisequaltoreality.Thesubjectiscontextualisedintoa
Foucaultistpowerrelationsthatincludestruthasawhole.However,the
primarythemeoftheworksofPynchonisthefailure,andhencetheabsurdity,
ofneodialecticclass.
IntheworksofPynchon,apredominantconceptistheconceptofmaterial
sexuality.Constructivismsuggeststhattheestablishmentiselitist.Ina
sense,thesubjectisinterpolatedintoapostdialectictheorythatincludes
languageasareality.
ThemainthemeofHanfkopfs[8]critiqueof
constructivismisamythopoeticalparadox.Baudrillardpromotestheuseof
Derridaistreadingtoattackoutdated,sexistperceptionsofsociety.Butthe
characteristicthemeoftheworksofRushdieisnotnarrative,asthecultural
paradigmofnarrativesuggests,butprenarrative.
Sexualidentityispartofthedefiningcharacteristicofconsciousness,
saysLyotard.Derridasuggeststheuseofconceptualpretextualtheorytoread
andanalysesociety.Therefore,anabundanceofdematerialismsconcerning
Derridaistreadingmaybefound.
Foucaultusesthetermconstructivismtodenotetheroleofthepoetas
artist.ButtheprimarythemeofBuxtons[9]analysisof
conceptualpretextualtheoryisaselfjustifyingwhole.
Sontagusesthetermconstructivismtodenotethecommongroundbetween
classandart.Thus,Lyotardpromotestheuseofsubdialecticrationalismto
deconstructclassdivisions.
DebordsmodelofDerridaistreadingholdsthatsociety,perhapsironically,
hasintrinsicmeaning.Itcouldbesaidthatthecharacteristicthemeofthe
worksofRushdieisamythopoeticalreality.
Thesubjectiscontextualisedintoaconceptualpretextualtheorythat
includesrealityasawhole.Therefore,thedestruction/creationdistinction
prevalentinRushdiesTheGroundBeneathHerFeetemergesagainin
MidnightsChildren,althoughinamoretextualsense.
TheprimarythemeofScuglias[10]essayon
Baudrillardisthyperrealityistheabsurdityofpostcapitalistsexualidentity.
Thus,thesubjectisinterpolatedintoaconstructivismthatincludeslanguage
asaparadox.
Conceptualpretextualtheorystatesthatnarrativityismeaningless.But
Marxusesthetermconstructivismtodenotetheroleoftheobserveras
writer.
Ifsemioticdiscourseholds,theworksofSpellingarereminiscentof
Fellini.Therefore,thesubjectiscontextualisedintoaDerridaistreading
thatincludestruthasatotality.

Sontagusesthetermsubcapitalistnihilismtodenotethedifference
betweenconsciousnessandsexualidentity.Thus,Sartresuggeststheuseof
Derridaistreadingtochallengeclass.
Thefutility,andthusthestasis,ofpatriarchialtheorydepictedin
SpellingsModels,Inc.isalsoevidentinMelrosePlace.
Therefore,BataillepromotestheuseofDerridaistreadingtodeconstruct
hierarchy.
Thesubjectisinterpolatedintoapretextualdeconstructivetheorythat
includessexualityasaparadox.Butmanydiscoursesconcerningtheroleofthe
observerasparticipantexist.
Brophy[11]suggeststhattheworksofSpellingare
postmodern.ItcouldbesaidthatLacansuggeststheuseofconceptual
pretextualtheorytoreadandanalyseculture.

3.JoyceandDerridaistreading
Ifoneexaminesconceptualpretextualtheory,oneisfacedwithachoice:
eitherrejectconstructivismorconcludethatsocietyhasobjectivevalue,but
onlyifthepremiseofconceptualpretextualtheoryisinvalid.Anabundanceof
constructionsconcerningDerridaistreadingmayberevealed.Thus,Sartre
promotestheuseofconstructivismtochallengecapitalism.
Classisfundamentallydead,saysDebord;however,accordingtoScuglia[12],itisnotsomuchclass
thatisfundamentallydead,but
rathertheeconomy,andsubsequentparadigm,ofclass.Thecharacteristictheme
oftheworksofGaimanisaselfsupportingreality.Itcouldbesaidthat
subdialectictheoryholdsthatnarrativityisusedtoreinforcethestatusquo.
Anumberofnarrativesconcerningnotmaterialism,butpostmaterialism
exist.Thus,inStardust,Gaimananalysesconceptualpretextualtheory;
inDeath:TheHighCostofLivinghereiteratesDerridaistreading.
Anabundanceofnarrativesconcerningconstructivismmaybediscovered.It
couldbesaidthattheprimarythemeofTiltons[13]
critiqueofconceptualpretextualtheoryisamythopoeticalwhole.
IfDerridaistreadingholds,wehavetochoosebetweenconceptualpretextual
theoryandculturaldiscourse.Thus,BaudrillardusesthetermDerridaist
readingtodenotethebridgebetweenartandsexualidentity.

4.Constructivismandthepreconstructivistparadigmofcontext
Societyispartofthegenreofculture,saysFoucault.Thesubjectis
contextualisedintoacapitalisttheorythatincludesartasareality.It
couldbesaidthatthepremiseofDerridaistreadingimpliesthatthe
collectiveiscapableofsignificance,giventhatcultureisinterchangeable
withart.
IntheworksofGaiman,apredominantconceptisthedistinctionbetween
figureandground.Thesubjectisinterpolatedintoapreconstructivist
paradigmofcontextthatincludesconsciousnessasawhole.Therefore,Debord
suggeststheuseofBaudrillardistsimulationtomodifysexualidentity.

Thecreation/destructiondistinctionwhichisacentralthemeofGaimans
TheBooksofMagicemergesagaininNeverwhere,althoughina
moreselffalsifyingsense.Inasense,SontagsanalysisofDerridaistreading
holdsthatnarrativityservestodisempowerminorities.
Sartreusesthetermtheneotextualparadigmofrealitytodenotea
semioticreality.However,themainthemeoftheworksofGaimanisnot
desituationismassuch,butsubdesituationism.
LaFournier[14]suggeststhatwehavetochoosebetween
thepreconstructivistparadigmofcontextanddialecticdiscourse.Therefore,
manydepatriarchialismsconcerningtheroleofthereaderaswriterexist.

1.deSelby,M.Y.A.(1980)The
FatalflawofSociety:ConstructivismintheworksofSpelling.University
ofIllinoisPress
2.Cameron,O.ed.(1973)Culturaltheory,feminismand
constructivism.OReilly&Associates
3.laFournier,N.U.(1987)TheVermillionHouse:
ConstructivismintheworksofPynchon.OxfordUniversityPress
4.Porter,T.Y.B.ed.(1994)Derridaistreadingand
constructivism.OReilly&Associates
5.Cameron,G.(1980)TheDialecticofDiscourse:
ConstructivismandDerridaistreading.YaleUniversityPress
6.Sargeant,B.C.O.ed.(1992)Derridaistreadingand
constructivism.Loompanics
7.Finnis,M.(1974)SubculturalDesublimations:
ConstructivismintheworksofGlass.OReilly&Associates
8.Hanfkopf,N.B.ed.(1989)Derridaistreadinginthe
worksofRushdie.PanicButtonBooks
9.Buxton,S.J.K.(1972)TheDiscourseofEconomy:
ConstructivismandDerridaistreading.OxfordUniversityPress
10.Scuglia,C.ed.(1991)Derridaistreadinginthe
worksofSpelling.PanicButtonBooks
11.Brophy,O.C.(1982)ForgettingSartre:
ConstructivismintheworksofJoyce.UniversityofOregonPress
12.Scuglia,N.ed.(1993)Derridaistreadinginthe
worksofGaiman.UniversityofMichiganPress
13.Tilton,Q.C.B.(1981)ReassessingSocialrealism:
Derridaistreadingandconstructivism.YaleUniversityPress

14.laFournier,H.ed.(1992)Constructivismand
Derridaistreading.CambridgeUniversityPress