Monday, April 19, 2010

Pre-Class Derrida's "Differance" 4-19-10

In the final sentence of an essay, the writer usually intends to leave the reader with a great lasting impression - something profound, yet encompassing of their finished work. The final sentence of Derrida's essay reads, "The question bears (upon) each of the words in this sentence: 'Being/speaks/through every language;/every where and always/.' " (140).

What? Um...I honestly found myself frustrated after the second page. But I was a little disappointed being left with that last quote. Is that the last thing Derrida wants me to grapple with? I read that last sentence over and over, taking a literal interpretation, then breaking down every word - relating that term back to the text - and piecing it together again. Still, what does that mean? Taking a literal interpretation, Derrida argues that all life has a voice through some heard or silent language, all the time and in all corners of the world. Great - that's an argument, but how does it pertain to critical media? Does this mean that simply existing grants us a voice and, through this voice, we speak some language that is received by others, whether heard or not by everyone? This seems like quite an abstract and broad quote and I still do not fully understand Derrida's intentions within. So, if anyone in our class can please help me understand what the author means by this quote, I would greatly appreciate it.

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