On Deconstruction Of Binary Oppositions In J.M.Coetzee’s Youth

J.M.Coetzee is a prestiged South African writer who won the 2013 Noble Prize for literature. In Coetzee’s postcolonial writings, deconstructing binary oppositions is one outstanding feature. By constructing new images of genders, races, and cultures as opposed to the traditional images of those described in logocentric thinking, his autobiographic novel Youth subverts and deconstructs those three binary oppositions from the postcolonial deconstruction perspective.As a non-traditional autobiographical novel, Youth has received widespread attention in the academic circle. Researches on this novel are mainly done from the perspective of post-colonial theory with a focus on the otherness and his cultural identity, theoretical point of view, narrative theory, discourse theory and gender theory to study the narrative themes and narrative techniques in the work. The thesis interprets Youth from the perspective of deconstruction. From the deconstruction of the binary oppositions between male/female, the white/black and the west/east, the thesis explores the author’s deconstruction and reconstruction of discourse theory and gender theory.The introduction part gives a brief introduction to J.M.Coetzee, his works and his achievements. The research background and research status are also illustrated in this chapter, through which the significance and purpose of this thesis will be introduced. Then, the theories adopted in analyzing in the thesis are presented. They are the theory of binary opposition and the theory of deconstruction aimed to deconstructing binary oppositions. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, the thesis is composed of four chapters.Chapter one explores the deconstruction of the binary opposition between male/female presented in Youth. In the traditional logo-centric binary opposition between male/female, male is defined as courageous and powerful, while female is supposed to be constructed by male and thus dependent on male. In Youth, male is contrarily depicted as being weak and impotent. Moreover, they are dependent on female spiritually and emotionally, while female is described as decisive and bold. The subversion of the male/female images demonstrated Coetzee’s deconstruction of the hierarchy binary opposites.Chapter two and chapter three discuss the author’s deconstruction of colonial imperialism based on his deconstruction of two sets of binary opposites: the black/white, the east/west in Youth. In euro-centric thinking, the black is “the other” as constructed by the white to be barbarous and weak. However, the white hero John in the novel is depicted as timid and impotent, opposed to the image of the white as constructed by white-centrism. In this way, white centrism is subverted. Orientalism holds that the east is constructed by the west with discourse power. The west is the symbol of culture and progress, while the east backward and barbarous. In the novel, London, the central of west, is quite different from what is constructed by euro-centrism. Thus, the validity of eurocentrism is questioned. Finally, eurocentrism is subverted and then it leads to the deconstruction of the binary opposition between west and east.Based on the earlier analysis, chapter four profoundly explores the reasons why Coetzee deconstruct these three binary opposites. To deconstruct the binary opposition between male/female demonstrates Coetzee’s eagerness to establish harmonious relationship between them, which is a foundation for constructing a utopia world. For the black/white, west/east opposites, it is for subverting the colonial imperialism that Coetzee deconstructed them. Then, a just world is emerged, and for Coetzee at that time, which is an epitome of a utopia world.In the conclusive part, the research process is reviewed and the conclusion is made. Coetzee realized that the traditional hierarchal binary opposition between male/female, the white/black and the east/west is the result of colonial imperialism and logo-centric thinking. Thus, he deconstructed these binary opposites in terms of postcolonial deconstruction, demonstrating his accusing of colonial imperialism and his eagerness for utopia world.