A Deconstructive Reading of William Golding ‘s Lord of the Flies for EFL Learners in the Saudi Context
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume3, Number4. October 2019 Pp.175-188
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no4.15
A Deconstructive Reading of William Golding ‘s Lord of the Flies for EFL Learners in the
Saudi Context
Usman Shah
Department of English, College of Education, Majmaah University
Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
Majed O. Abahussain
Department of English, College of Education, Majmaah University
Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
Comprehending words and expressions in the English language is a critical challenge for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in the Saudi context given the enigmatic nature of the language and ambiguity of texts with multifaceted interpretations. Focusing on the use of Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction approach, William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” was analysed in terms of characterisations, themes, and textual structure to explore how a deconstructive reading influences the interpretation of this post-world war English novel and the implications and challenges of applying deconstructive textual analysis among EFL learners in the classroom. This qualitative study was purely descriptive that employed purposive and convenience sampling techniques for the selection of the texts, where the novel and the researcher served as the key instruments. In particular, the deconstructive reading procedure, advantages and challenges of deconstructive reading for the EFL learners, and multifaceted interpretations of the novel were discussed in this study. Through a deconstructive reading, the EFL learners play an active role in deconstructing the meanings of texts based on their own interpretation and understanding, which can indirectly enhance their interest in language and improve their critical thinking skills. Expectedly, this study would spark interest and appreciation to the concept of deconstruction as well as other prominent literary works, particularly William Golding’s allegory debut novel. In order to discover the various dimensions of meanings in literature, it is recommended for future research to comprehensively explore the novel in detail and conduct deconstructive analysis on prominent speeches and characters in play.
Keywords: Deconstruction approach, EFL Learners, Literary criticism, Lord of the Flies, reader-response role, textual analysis
Cites as: Shah, U., & Abahussain, M. O. (2019). A Deconstructive Reading of William Golding ‘s ‘‘Lord of the Flies’’ for EFL Learners in the Saudi Context. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies3 (4)175-188.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no4.15