Background of The Study
with “phallogocentrism”
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that is an ideology emphasizing on “phallus”. Derrida had positively responded to the application of his theory into this area saying that,
“… phallosentrisme dan logosentrisme system yang satu dan yang sama: yakni yang menegakkan logos paternal dan yang memprioritaskan phallus sebagai
penanda yang paternal”. Phallogoscentrism and logocentrism is one and same system: namely that builds paternal logos which made phallus as paternal symbol
a priority.
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Phallus does not just simply masculinity, but thinking approach that makes hierarchical binary opposition between masculinefeminine, logicemotion,
and courageweakness, and any others. The feminism critics borrow deconstruction techniques to interrogate the phallocentrism tendency in texts,
discussing it, reversing it or finding out the alternative surpassing dichotomist thinking approach mention above. The post-colonial critics applied deconstruction
by identifying logocentrism with ideology that make hierarchical binary dichotomy between westeast; logicemotion, modernprimitive, etc. are made
colonialism and imperialism. Deconstruction in literary work can be noted in Anna and the King novel
by Margaret Landon. Ratna Asmarini, a researcher at Undip-Semarang, analyzed the hidden meaning contained in the novel through deconstructive approach from
a feminist perspective about two different cultures British and Siam that interact for a long time. The result shows that each side –Anna the British woman and
4
Phallogocentrism is a neologism coned by Jacques Derrida, used in deconstruction a postmodern from of philosophical criticism and literary criticism to refer to the perceived
tendency of Western thought to locate the center of any discourse within the logos speech and words
and the
phallus embodiments
representing the
male genitalia.
www.wordiq.comdefinitionPhallogocentrism accessed on Jan 19
th
2011. 19:56 pm.
5
Melani Budianta, Teori Sastra Sesudah Strukturalisme: dari Study Teks ke Study Wacana Budaya Jakarta: PPKB-LPUI, 2002, p. 46.
King Maha Mongkut of Siam– deconstructs and is deconstructed in the process of interaction. Both, in the long run, have a blend of cultures for their own
betterment and for the betterment of the people around them.
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And many other literary work that can be studied using deconstruction theory.
Based on the above research, that deconstruction is not only found in linguistics field but also found in literary work. Deconstruction theory search for
the hidden meanings in a so called stable permanent meaning to prove that texts always depend on the contexts. It is from that point that the writer is interested in
analyzing a film with the title of A Destiny of Her Own directed by Marshal Herkovitz. This film described the main character, Veronica Franco as well-
educated mistress and far different with the condition of that days: the period where woman is confined by the existing tradition and rules, to be housewife, take
care of her husband and children and household work. Veronica is very much different from common women in Venice. Viewed from feminism, Veronica is
literate, independent, decisive, and courageous woman. Based on the very different character of Veronica from common Venetians women, the writer is
interested to analyze more deeply the texts findin the film A Destiny of Her Own. In the literary work, deconstruction is used to find the contrasted matters found in
the texts themselves. And the meaning shown is even in the contrary with the precious existing meaning.
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Ratna Asnarani,
Pendekatan Feminis
Dekonstruktif-Kultural, http:staff.undip.ac.idsastraratna20090721pendekatan-feminis-dekonstruktif-
kultural. Accessed on Jan 3 2011
.
We can analyze Veronica’s character using feminism deconstruction in order to see the possibility of different meaning from that concerted in that film.
Since the texts has copious the meanings, then the texts of A Destiny of Her Own can be seen from the different point of views that result different kind of
perceptions.