Shepard's and Pirandello's Selected Works as Indeterminate Texts: A poststructuralist Study

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

A. General Overview

B. Statement of the Problem

C. Significance of the Study

D. Methodology

E. Review of Related Literature

F. Limitations and Delimitations

G. Definition of Key Terms

II. Poststructuralism and Indeterminacy

A. Derrida and Birth of Differance of Meaning

1. Binary Opposition and Supplementation

B. Paul de Man and Rhetoric

C. Nietzsche and Truth as a Mobile Army of Metaphors

D. Modern Physics: Indeterminacy and the Beauty of the Observer's Eyes

III. Shepard's Buried Child and True West as Indeterminate Texts

A. Buried Child and Indeterminacy

1. Quantum-like Behavior of the Characters

2. Buried Child as a Mobile Signifier

3. Nietzsche's Concept of Translation

B. True West and Indeterminacy of True West and Identity

1. The Question of Identity

2. Characters, Binary Opposition and Supplementation

3. The Nonlinear Behavior of Characters

IV. Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and It Is So

A. It Is So and the Question of Identity

1. Floating Truth

2. Document as an Indeterminate Fact

3. Indeterminacy and Relativity of Character's Truth

B. Relativity and Indeterminacy in Six Characters in Search of an Author

1. Various Perspectives toward Reality

2. Characters', Actors' and Audience's Truth

3. Characters' and Actors' Exchange of Roles

4. Indeterminacy of Characters' Behavior

V. Conclusion

A. Summing Up

B. Findings

C. Suggestions for Further Research

Research Objectives and Core Themes

The primary objective of this study is to investigate and trace the concept of indeterminacy within selected theatrical works by Luigi Pirandello and Sam Shepard, applying a poststructuralist lens. The research seeks to determine how identity, truth, and character consistency are challenged by indeterminate structures, drawing parallels between literary theory—specifically the ideas of Derrida, de Man, and Nietzsche—and the unpredictability found in modern physics.

• The application of poststructuralist concepts such as differance and binary opposition to literary texts.
• The intersection of modern physics (quantum theory and Einstein's relativity) and literary indeterminacy.
• An analysis of identity fragmentation and the fluidity of character traits in modern drama.
• A comparative exploration of Pirandello’s and Shepard’s work regarding their questioning of "objective" truth.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

I. Introduction: This chapter provides a general overview of the shift away from objective reality in modern thought, introduces the playwrights, and outlines the research problem regarding indeterminacy in their works.

II. Poststructuralism and Indeterminacy: This section explores theoretical foundations by examining Derrida’s concepts of differance and binary opposition, Paul de Man’s rhetoric, Nietzsche’s truth as a mobile army of metaphors, and the parallels in modern physics.

III. Shepard's Buried Child and True West as Indeterminate Texts: The chapter applies the previously discussed poststructuralist and scientific theories to analyze identity, characters, and sign systems in Shepard's plays.

IV. Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and It Is So: This chapter investigates Pirandello's plays, focusing on how relativity and the interplay between reality and illusion render truth indeterminate.

V. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings of the study, reiterating the prevalence of indeterminacy in the analyzed plays, and offers suggestions for future research.

Keywords

Indeterminacy, Poststructuralism, Differance, Binary Opposition, Deconstruction, Relativity, Quantum Physics, Identity, Floating Signifiers, Truth, Metaphor, Rhetoric, Sam Shepard, Luigi Pirandello, Dramaturgy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this academic work?

This study focuses on the concept of "indeterminacy" in the plays of Sam Shepard and Luigi Pirandello, examining how these texts challenge stable meanings and fixed identities through a poststructuralist and modern scientific lens.

Which playwrights are the center of this research?

The research centers on the plays Buried Child and True West by Sam Shepard, and Six Characters in Search of an Author and It Is So! by Luigi Pirandello.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to demonstrate that these plays function as "indeterminate texts" where meaning is not fixed but continuously deferred, paralleling concepts from philosophy and modern physics.

What methodologies does the author employ?

The author applies poststructuralist literary theory—specifically the work of Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, and Friedrich Nietzsche—alongside scientific theories of relativity and quantum mechanics to interpret the dramatic texts.

What does the main body of the work cover?

The main body systematically analyzes the identified plays to reveal how they subvert binary oppositions, fragment character identity, and turn truth into a fluid, "floating" signifier.

Which keywords best characterize this research?

The research is best characterized by terms like Indeterminacy, Poststructuralism, Differance, Relativity, Floating Signifiers, and the fragmentation of identity in modern drama.

How is the identity of the "Buried Child" treated in the text?

The author argues that the identity of the child is never definitively fixed; it moves between multiple signifiers, with the text offering no conclusive evidence regarding the child's father, thus creating a state of undecidability.

What is the significance of the "theatre of mirror" in Pirandello's work?

The "theatre of mirror" refers to Pirandello’s exploration of the illusory nature of self and reality, where characters and actors confront their own reflections, highlighting the impossibility of a singular, objective truth.