i desperately need some info on the followin.

structuralist emphasis on language and structure in purloind letter and how it contributes to the understanding of the narrative and cultural dimensions within the text?

Help, somebody help.

-- Anonymous, May 05, 2002

Answers

I assume that the structuralist reading to which you are referring is Jacques Lacan's 'Seminar on the Purloined Letter'. In which case, you should get hold of a copy of Muller & Richardson's 'The Purloined Poe' (1988) which contains Lacan's piece, Derrida's response to Lacan and Barbara Johnson's response to Derrida and Lacan.

It always seems to me that such readings can contribute to a better understanding of the narrative drive in Poe's work, but that the structuralist's deliberate refusal to treat such work historically means there is no furthering of the cultural dimension.

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2002

And I don't think THEY would have found the letter either. I think Poe might have been disappointed that this orignatiates from French schools of criticism.

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2002

Lacan and Derrida would have grabbed any old letter and just tried to convince everyone that it was THE letter. If anyone dared to disagree, he (or she) would be buried under a flood of words until he relented.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2002