Deconstructive Interpretation Of Katherine Anne Porter's Fictions

American novelist Katherine Anne Porter(1890-1980)is so famous for her special style,elegant and concise language,detached and unique characterization and narrative strategies that she still occupies firmly her own state in the literary history of America nowadays.Her works,especially the most representative short stories and novellas are of great value in literature,academy as well as aesthetics.The academic researches about her works have never ceased,and by now,the relevant studies have been very extensive and continuing to be improved,which touched not only the theme,the narrative language but also her life.However,there was hardly interpretation of Porter's fictions from the perspective of deconstruction on the condition that there were perfect and feasible corresponding points between them.Deconstruction was an important thought in the second half of 20 thcentury.Its spiritual cores,such as anti-tradition,anti-authority,anti-absolute center,are so consistent with the connotations of Porter's fictions.This thesis selected two stories that represent Porter's style very well in all aspects,thus,Noon Wine and Flowering Judas,as the examples to interpret and research,and it will be divided into five main parts to explain carefully.Chapter one mainly includes the author's some life and literary experiences,the brief introduction of the two chosen stories,as well as the intrinsic connection between the stories and deconstruction,namely,the analytic breakthrough points.Chapter two is the subversion of binary opposition over the images of characters.This thesis selected three couples of binary oppositions: good and evil,passion and alienation,man and woman,and it would combine them with Derrida's thought about the unfair and hierarchical relationship of binary oppositions and advocating to subvert the binary oppositions and see things from a contrary perspective.Like Hatch,Thompson,who subverted good and evil and showed the co-existence over the characters.Then,Helton and Laura made passion and alienation subverted.Finally,the men in this two stories are outwardly strong but inwardly weak,woman has her own unique power which is not inferior to man's;then,the opposition of man and woman was subverted alike.To conclude,deconstructive interpretation reversed thethree couples of binary opposition thoroughly.Chapter three is Themes from center to Diff�rance of the two stories.Another spiritual core of deconstruction the omnipresent mysterious Diff�rance,which implying a elusive interpretation of anything so it is just in vain to seek for the ultimate truth.This idea is consistent with the facts in the stories.People endeavored to obey the conduct of a certain absolutely authoritative value.But the results always turned out to be failures even tragedies.The law failed;the morality became the rigid shackles.Humanity turned out to be multifarious and incapable.And someone lost their faith and betrayed,then they seemed to fall into a futile abyss.If we interpret the texts according to the traditional mechanical ways to seek for certain,ultimate theme and meaning,we would be in danger of worshiping a single authority.Under the work of Diff�rance,there is no absolute center any more,and the themes are bound to be multiple.Chapter four is about the uncertain language of this two stories.Diff�rance not only created the multiple themes but also made the text a language play,therefore the uncertain meaning derived form that.This chapter analyzes the uncertain language of this two stories from their narrative strategies.First,the absence of omniscient narrator and shift of limited viewpoint dismantled the authority of the omnipotent narrator,and shaked the reliability of the textual information;then the discontinuity and fragments with the stream of consciousness in the texts destroyed the steady narrative structure and narrative logic;finally,the ambiguous beginning and open ending disintergrated the narrative duration.The textual language and narrative strategies proved infinite interpretations and the deep connotations of their interal world and external behaviours as well.Chapter five is conclusion.With a deconstructive analysis of people's personalities,behaviors,their inner mind behind it and the picture of various beings,we may found that there are more possibilities and Porter never intends to advocate something or belittle others,we can just read human's common spirit and reality,but more comprehensive.Deconstruction started with subversion and substitution,turning to diverse,and aims to emancipate people from the rigid absolute truth;this idea coincides exactly and perfectly with the characterizations and insight about humanity and those glorious and profound messages in Porter's fictions.