author based theories

7/28/2019 Author Based Theories

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AUTHOR-BasedAUTHOR-BasedApproachApproach

HERMENEUTICSHERMENEUTICS



Focus of Hermeneutics is actuallyFocus of Hermeneutics is actuallyon examining “what is absenton examining “what is absent

rather than what is present”rather than what is present” Find Roots in the work of theFind Roots in the work of the

German philosopher MartinGerman philosopher MartinHeidgger and AmericanHeidgger and American

Hermenutist Hirsch Jr.Hermenutist Hirsch Jr. Hermeneutics in one way or theHermeneutics in one way or theother stands for a place where inother stands for a place where in

the most natural, original waythe most natural, original waysubjectivity and the sociocultural,subjectivity and the sociocultural,-political and –economic backdrop-political and –economic backdrophave to come together with thehave to come together with the

being of the text relegated to abeing of the text relegated to a



Hermeneutics encompasses not onlyHermeneutics encompasses not onlyissues involving the written text butissues involving the written text butevery aspect involved in the processevery aspect involved in the process

of interpretationof interpretation

The process of interpretation inThe process of interpretation in

Hermeneutics include verbal andHermeneutics include verbal andnonverbal forms of communicationnonverbal forms of communicationas well as prior perspectives thatas well as prior perspectives thataffect- positively or negatively-affect- positively or negatively-

communicative process, such ascommunicative process, such aspresuppositions, preunderstandings,presuppositions, preunderstandings,

the meaning and philosophy of the meaning and philosophy of language and semiotic relationslanguage and semiotic relations



Thus Hermeneutics stands for theThus Hermeneutics stands for the

analysis of texts for coherentanalysis of texts for coherent

explanation and interpretationexplanation and interpretation

This experience resides in anThis experience resides in an

imaginative continuum of certainimaginative continuum of certainpatterns, themes, problems,patterns, themes, problems,

dilemmas, and images focusing ondilemmas, and images focusing on

the relation and nature of the relation and nature of experience to the artistic processexperience to the artistic process



Hermeneutics attempts to interpretHermeneutics attempts to interpret

and understand social events byand understand social events byanalysing their meanings to theanalysing their meanings to thehuman participants-mainly thehuman participants-mainly the

writer’s self-and their culturewriter’s self-and their culture

It emphasizes the importance of It emphasizes the importance of

the context as well as the form of the context as well as the form of any given social behaviourany given social behaviour



The central principle of The central principle of Hermeneutics is that it is onlyHermeneutics is that it is only

possible to grasp the meaning of anpossible to grasp the meaning of anaction or statement by relating it toaction or statement by relating it tothe whole discourse or world-viewthe whole discourse or world-view

from which it originatesfrom which it originates

Hermeneutic circle: Relationship of Hermeneutic circle: Relationship of

the whole to the part and the partthe whole to the part and the partto the wholeto the whole

H



How can we escape our currentHow can we escape our current

viewpoint and see a piece of viewpoint and see a piece of

literature as its author intended?literature as its author intended? There is no language free of prejudicesThere is no language free of prejudices

and preferences. Nor can we get outsideand preferences. Nor can we get outsidelanguage to some purer mode of language to some purer mode of understandingunderstanding

Words mirror objects imperfectly atWords mirror objects imperfectly atsurface level of language but it is on theirsurface level of language but it is on theirmultilevel reflecting surfaces that truthmultilevel reflecting surfaces that truthbecome perceptiblebecome perceptible

These patterns are not merely containersThese patterns are not merely containers

for words, but interpretive conventions,for words, but interpretive conventions,ways of understanding, and ways of ways of understanding, and ways of locating relevant subjects for discourse.locating relevant subjects for discourse.

Hermeneutics sees interpretation as aHermeneutics sees interpretation as a

creative effort to compose ancreative effort to compose anunderstandin on the art of theunderstanding on the part of the



AuthorityAuthority TheThe authorityauthority of a text is its reliability as a witness toof a text is its reliability as a witness to

the author's intentions that can be:the author's intentions that can be: InitialInitial medialmedial

finalfinal An attempt is made to explore authorialAn attempt is made to explore authorial

intention- either it is recoverable or thisintention- either it is recoverable or this

recovery is impossiblerecovery is impossible

A text's authority becomes more problematicA text's authority becomes more problematic

when it has more than one author, when itwhen it has more than one author, when it

falsely asserts itself to be someone else's work orfalsely asserts itself to be someone else's work or

when it is revised many timeswhen it is revised many times



Hermeneutic Code: theHermeneutic Code: the

voice of the truthvoice of the truth Associated with enigmas of theAssociated with enigmas of the

texttext It is entities or elements thatIt is entities or elements that

articulate a question and itsarticulate a question and its

answer, as well as events thatanswer, as well as events thatprepare the question or delayprepare the question or delay

its answerits answer



Thematisation. What in the narrativeThematisation. What in the narrativeis an enigma?is an enigma?

Positioning. Additional confirmationsPositioning. Additional confirmationsof the enigma.of the enigma. Formulation of the enigma.Formulation of the enigma. Promise of an answer of the enigma.Promise of an answer of the enigma.

Fraud. Circumvention of the trueFraud. Circumvention of the trueanswer.answer. Equivocation. Mixture of fraud andEquivocation. Mixture of fraud and

truth.truth. Blocking. The enigma cannot beBlocking. The enigma cannot be

solved.solved. Suspended answer. Stopping theSuspended answer. Stopping the

answering after having begun.answering after having begun. Partial answer. Some facets of thePartial answer. Some facets of the

truth are revealed.truth are revealed.



HERMENEUTICS IN EFL/ESLHERMENEUTICS IN EFL/ESL

CONTEXTCONTEXT For an EFL/ESL learner, fromFor an EFL/ESL learner, from

Hermeneutical perspective,Hermeneutical perspective,reading literature is actually areading literature is actually a

process of decoding the languageprocess of decoding the language

codes that are operative in thecodes that are operative in thecomposition of any given text andcomposition of any given text andthe socio-historical and culturalthe socio-historical and cultural

contexts in which it was composedcontexts in which it was composed EFL/ESL teacher must compose thisEFL/ESL teacher must compose this

position by explaining how he/sheposition by explaining how he/sheteaches a PARTICULAR piece to ateaches a PARTICULAR piece to a

group of historically ignorantgroup of historically ignorantstudentsstudents



For an EFL/ESL learner, literary textFor an EFL/ESL learner, literary text

contains a historically accuratecontains a historically accurate

interpretation in terms of theinterpretation in terms of themeaning of the text, and the role of meaning of the text, and the role of

hermeneutics is to recover thathermeneutics is to recover that

meaningmeaning

The major concern of an EFL/ESLThe major concern of an EFL/ESL

teacher is to rehabilitate referenceteacher is to rehabilitate referenceitself itself



Basically EFL/ESL teacher’s practiceBasically EFL/ESL teacher’s practiceis to inform his/her students of theis to inform his/her students of thesedimented meanings of the termssedimented meanings of the terms

around which pivot the kind of around which pivot the kind of interpretation that would beinterpretation that would be

performed by a person of the targetperformed by a person of the targetwriter’s generation, culture, andwriter’s generation, culture, and

gender-a traditional hermeneuticgender-a traditional hermeneuticrecuperation of the textrecuperation of the text

Hermeneutic interpretations areHermeneutic interpretations are

thus instrumentally different fromthus instrumentally different fromliterary texts, and language isliterary texts, and language isunderstood as a set of techniquesunderstood as a set of techniques

for presenting informationfor presenting information

unmediated by authorialunmediated by authorial



EFL/ESL learner as an interpreter thusEFL/ESL learner as an interpreter thusbecomes a cataloguer of semioticbecomes a cataloguer of semiotic

references that can be applied to a textreferences that can be applied to a textin the way that meaning is buried inin the way that meaning is buried inlanguage that has become opaquelanguage that has become opaque

because of the passage of timebecause of the passage of time

This position of the literary text inThis position of the literary text inHermeneutics continues to privilege theHermeneutics continues to privilege thepastpast

Thus, an EFL/ESL learner exploitsThus, an EFL/ESL learner exploits

interpretation only to efface theinterpretation only to efface thechanges that language undergoes inchanges that language undergoes in

time, employing language as secondarytime, employing language as secondaryto context simply to present theto context simply to present the

discoveries made by interpretationdiscoveries made by interpretation



The production of an interpretationThe production of an interpretationand explanation about a text,and explanation about a text,

requires the application of specialrequires the application of specialtopics andtopics and methods on the part of methods on the part of

the learner/readerthe learner/reader

From Hermeneutical perspective,From Hermeneutical perspective,for an EFL/ESL learner a text is notfor an EFL/ESL learner a text is nota repository of meaning, but rathera repository of meaning, but rather

a potential opportunity fora potential opportunity fordiscoursediscourse



However, there is no absoluteHowever, there is no absolutestandard of evaluation forstandard of evaluation for

interpretive propositions ininterpretive propositions in

Hermeneutics because interpretationHermeneutics because interpretationhappens within informal, openhappens within informal, opensystems involving words andsystems involving words and

systems of thought that cannot besystems of thought that cannot becodified and formalizedcodified and formalized

The purpose of HermeneuticalThe purpose of Hermeneutical

interpretation, thus, is not tointerpretation, thus, is not torepresent thought in words or torepresent thought in words or toconvey abstract meanings to othersconvey abstract meanings to others

by means of words, but rather toby means of words, but rather to

exert power over experience-toexert power over experience-to



EFL/ESL teacher is required toEFL/ESL teacher is required tomake the students understand thatmake the students understand that

when meaning is understood aswhen meaning is understood asresulting from authorial intention,resulting from authorial intention,a single stable meaning is assumeda single stable meaning is assumed

available to a particularavailable to a particular

methodology, and one topic ismethodology, and one topic isalways privileged over all othersalways privileged over all others

This makes some of what is learnedThis makes some of what is learned

in a literature classroom relevant toin a literature classroom relevant toother endeavors without renderingother endeavors without rendering

literature subservient to otherliterature subservient to other



Interpretation is understood not as aInterpretation is understood not as apsychological event or metaphysicalpsychological event or metaphysical

quest or a methodical reconstruction of quest or a methodical reconstruction of

a historical consciousness, but rather asa historical consciousness, but rather asa conscious effort to apply formalizinga conscious effort to apply formalizingprinciples to previously formed matterprinciples to previously formed matter

through an exploration into thethrough an exploration into the

experience of the writerexperience of the writer

Hermeneutics provides theHermeneutics provides theargumentative framework for evaluatingargumentative framework for evaluating

the relative plausibility of variousthe relative plausibility of variousinterpretations and, most significantly, itinterpretations and, most significantly, it

provides a practical method in anprovides a practical method in anEFL/ESL context for discovering how toEFL/ESL context for discovering how to

offer interpretations--for inventingoffer interpretations--for inventingmeanin smeanin s



What is alien for a learner isWhat is alien for a learner isworrisome and so must beworrisome and so must benormalized by the employment of normalized by the employment of

different means by the instructor asdifferent means by the instructor asit is always possible to redirectit is always possible to redirect

compositional attentioncompositional attention

author based theories

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