Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 11:25:12 -0500
From: angioletta maltbia
Subject: What is Structuralism?

What is structuralism? How does structuralism coincide with literature? How is structuralism similiar to formalism? According to Northope Fyre, "structuralism as the term suggests; is concerned with structures, and examining the general laws by which they work".(p.82) In other words, structuralism is like a framework; a fixed way of expressing something equivalent to the term, "form".

On the contrary, Eagleton's intendment believes that "individual units of any system have meaning only by virtue of their relations to one another".(p.82) Proposing that a characteristic is insignificant, without the goodness of connection with others. Actually, there is no one definite expression of structuralism. A general inclination is another system of ideas. It is scarcely an eminent piece of writing. Structuralism is also a method of inquiry, which can relate to an entire extent of words or either objects with meaning.

As mentioned earlier, structuralism is consonant to the term "formalism". Formalism has an outward appearance of something as distinguished from, the substance which it is made. For example, with literature, a poem is based on the outside meaning. In order to interpret what the poet means, a person would have to dig deep, deep into the poem.