Structuralism

 

Introduction:

Structuralism is a literary theory that studies literature by focusing on underlying structures rather than individual meanings or authorial intentions. It believes that meaning is produced through systems of relationships, patterns, and rules that govern language, culture, and texts. Structuralism emerged in the early twentieth century and is strongly influenced by the ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist.

Structuralism: Meaning and Key Concepts

Structuralism argues that a text does not exist independently; instead, it functions as part of a larger system such as language, culture, or genre.

According to Saussure, language is a system of signs, and each sign has two parts:

Signifier – the sound or written form of a word

Signified – the concept or meaning associated with it

Meaning is created not by individual words but by their difference and relationship with other words.

Other important concepts of structuralism include:

Binary oppositions (good/evil, life/death, male/female)

Narrative structures and patterns

Roles or functions of characters rather than their psychology

Syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations in language

Structuralists believe that texts share common patterns and can be analyzed scientifically.

Application of Structuralism to a Text

(Text chosen: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)

A structuralist reading of Romeo and Juliet focuses on its underlying narrative structure, not on emotions or individual character depth.

1. Character Functions

Romeo and Juliet – Lovers (central narrative role)

Montagues and Capulets – Opposing forces

Friar Laurence and Nurse Helpers/mediators

These characters perform fixed roles that appear in many tragic love stories.

2. Binary Oppositions

The play is structured around clear binary oppositions:

Love / Hate

Youth / Age

Individual desire / Social law

Life / Death

These oppositions create tension and drive the narrative forward.

3. Narrative Pattern

The structure follows a universal tragic pattern:

Love begins

Conflict interrupts

Miscommunication occurs

Tragic death

Social reconciliation

This pattern exists in many myths and love tragedies across cultures, proving that the play is part of a larger narrative system.

Classroom Examples:

Example 1: Fairy Tale Structure

In class, fairy tales were discussed to explain structural roles:

Hero

Villain

Victim

Helper

This structure can be applied to stories like Cinderella or even modern films, showing that stories follow fixed systems.

Example 2: Binary Oppositions in Poetry

Students identified oppositions in poems such as:

Nature / Civilization

Freedom / Restriction

This shows how meaning is created through contrast.

Example 3: Language Structure

A classroom sentence example:

“The boy chased the dog.” Changing the order changes meaning, proving that structure controls meaning, not just words.

Conclusion:

Structuralism helps readers understand literature by revealing the hidden systems and structures that produce meaning. Instead of focusing on emotions or moral lessons, it analyzes patterns, relationships, and rules within the text. By applying structuralist concepts to Romeo and Juliet, we see that the play is not unique but part of a universal structure of tragic love narratives. Thus, structuralism provides a scientific and systematic approach to literary analysis.