After the World Wars, a sense of skepticism and indeterminacy towards the objective reality and truth, thought to be attained by the heritage of modernity, became an obsession for the thinkers and philosophers questioning the nature of truth. The present study is an attempt to trace the notion of indeterminacy in the plays of Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and It Is So! and Sam Shepard's True West and Buried Child from the point of view of poststructuralist philosophers, namely Derrida, Paul de Man, Nietzsche and theories of modern Physics (Einstein's relativity and quantum physics). To achieve this purpose, a thorough investigation of the plays through the lens of indeterminacy has been conducted. The first focus is Derrida's two notions, Differance and binary oppositions. Differance reflects on the deferment of meaning; and his idea of binary oppositions concentrates on the fact that of the two sides of oppositions neither side has privilege over the other side since a part of meaning exists in the opposite one and they get their meaning from each other. Furthermore, de Man's rhetoric, pointing to the figurative nature of language, which causes the meaning to delay; Nietzsche's view of truth, having a mobile stance; and the theories of modern physics, with regard to Einstein's relativity and indeterminacy extant in quantum mechanics, have been approached. Through the application of these ideas, it is proved that neither Pirandello's nor Shepard's have fixed meanings; rather, they always grant floating meanings that never reach a definite signified. Characters of the plays have an indeterminate natures changing from one type of personality to another one. Moreover, it is seen that how the concept of relativity is working through the play causing different characters to have the same view of the same event regarding reality and truth.
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
A. Buried Child and Indeterminacy
One of the prevalent themes in these two plays (Buried Child and True West) is fragmentation of the American family in the modern era. Nothing comes out stable and fixed about the family depicted in Shepard's plays. As De Rose explains, Shepard's plays are concerned with a world in which everything comes "unfixed". A world in which reality becomes our illusion and we find ourselves at a loss to define "environment, belief, heritage, cultural myths, sense of personal identity, even spiritual selves" for ourselves. We find ourselves unstable with the world around (4). Most importantly, identities are fragmented. Nothing is certain about the characters that fill the space of these plays. Shepard's characters do not render a signified for their indeterminate personalities, changing from one kind of personality to another one.
They are like mobile signifiers trapped in a play of signification, never reaching a definite signified. These very characters fall into the differance of meaning, leading us to their deferment. Therefore, identity, personality and the significant concepts for them become inherently indeterminate, as this indeterminacy is a part of their floating nature. As for Buried Child, everything is unstable and unfixed about this play and surprisingly, those characters who are not seen in Buried Child fill more spaces and play significant roles. One of these characters that is not seen but is talked of most is the buried child itself whose identity, its father identity, is not apparent. We are not given a definite clue to the fact as to who might be the father of the buried child. Let us go through the play and see the evidence.
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.
- Citation du texte
- Mehdi Sepehrmanesh (Auteur), 2011, Shepard's and Pirandello's Selected Works as Indeterminate Texts: A poststructuralist Study, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/197772
