OF Decon- struction and the Fall of Paul deNan LEHMAN DAVID $21.95 Signsofthe Times is abrilliant, witty, and provoca- tiveaccountofdeconstruction—the mosthotly con- troversial French import since existentialism—and the scandalous fateofits fallen idol, Paul de Man. Deconstruction, whichregards wordsas mislead- ing "signs" and reduces history and literature to "linguistic predicaments," has had a tremendous (many would say destructive) influence in our uni- versities and among the best and brightest of our students. Toitsdetractors, deconstructionisaperni- ciousandantihumanistdoctrine; nevertheless, many areuncertainofitsimplicationsandthefullextentof its sway. In Signs of the Times David Lehman explains deconstruction in terms that finally render it intelligible. He also gives us the riveting story of the major scandals—pro-Nazi writings during WorldWarII, abigamousprivatelife—surrounding de Man, the reveredYaleprofessorwho wasdecon- struction's foremostguru inthe United States. Lehmanpresentsafascinatingandenigmaticpro- tagonist and charts the ironies and reversals that makede Man's story resemble agothic melodrama. Details ofde Man's past began to leak out after his death in 1983. Rushing to his defense, his followers used their esoteric method to "prove" that his war- timejournalismwasnotwhatitseemed. Indoingso, they dramatized the dangers inherent in a system of logicthatturnsthewordandtheworldupsidedown. What is deconstruction? Why did a generation of students find it so seductive? Why are so many pro- fessors up in arms about it, while for others it holds the key that unlocks the meaning of language and literature? Howhasittransformedthewaybooksare interpreted and taught? What arc deconstruction's merits? Its future? Was de Man's case the crucial turning point in the history ofan idea? Addressing these questions in this spirited and engaging book, David Lehman turns the tables on deconstruction, demystifying its forbiddingjargon. Inmasterly fashion, herelatesthebattleoverdecon- struction to the crisis in higher education today. He shows why deconstruction is so vital an issue—one that has itselfbecome adisturbing sign ofthe times. He has written an important book, sure to be dis- cussed and debated foryears tocome. ALSO BY DAVID LEHMAN An Alternative to Speech The Perfect Murder Operation Memory POSEIDON PRESS NEW YORK LONDON TORONTO SYDNEY TOKYO SINGAPORE SIGNS O H F T E TIMES DECONSTRUCTION AND THE FALL MAN OF PAUL DE D A V D LEHMAN I POSEIDON PRESS Simon & Schuster Building Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue ofthe Americas New York, New York 10020 © Copyright 1991 by David Lehman All rights reserved Iincluding the right ofreproduction in whole or in part in anyform POSEIDON PRESS is a registered trademark ofSimon & Schuster POSEIDON PRESS colophon is a trademark ofSimon & Schuster Designed by Liney Li Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lehman, David, date. Signs ofthe times : dcconstruction and the fall ofPaul de Man / David Lehman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Dcconstruction. 2. De Man, Paul. L I'itlc. B809.6.L44 1991 90-25825 j49—dc20 CIP ISBN 0-671-68239-3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Deconstruction, the first time you hear the word, sounds hke what happens when your four-year-old has a temper tantrum with his erector set. Or maybe it reminds you of the mayhem in the museum scene inBatman, in which theJoker and his henchmen deface paintmgs and knock over sculptures with manic delight and much giddy laugh- ter. Deconstruction doesn't altogether shed such fanciful connotations as these when you get to know it better and start gauging its impact on the study ofthe humanities in America. As an academic phenome- non, deconstruction is unquestionably so divisive and arguably so pernicious that it would (I told myself as I embarked on this book) surely be a worthy goal to render it intelligible to the common reader. I was convinced as well that the case of Paul de Man may come to be considered the most significant academic controversy ofour period. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I sometimes felt about writing this book as Jonah felt about going to Nineveh; there were times when I'd have much rather stayed inside the whale. At such times in particular I benefited from the counsel and the support ofnumerous friends and well-wishers, including my agent, Glen Hartley, and my editor, Elaine Pfefferblit. I am grateful as well to John Ackerman, Lynn Chu, Wolfgang Holdhcim, Ron Horning, Robert Polito, and John H. Weiss, all ofwhom made valuable suggestions for improving the manuscript. Lauren Oppcnhcim copycditcd it skillfully. Others were liberal with their time, thoughts, and recollections; a partial list includes M. H. Abrams, Ian Balfour, Joel Black, Linda Brooks, Ste- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 8 phen G. Crane, Roger Gilbert, John Gordon, Nathanael Greene, David Grossvogel, Donald Hall, John Hollander, Lawrence Joseph, Roger Kimball, Richard Klein, Charlotte Levrard, Alison Lurie, Steven Marcus, Michael R. Marrus, Edward Said, and Renee and Theodore Weiss. The views of the people with whom I spoke or corresponded sometimes conflicted with my own but were appreciated no less for that. Finally, my collective thanks go to the professors, students, writers, and critics who allowed me to interview them, in some cases on condition ofanonymity to protect them from the wrath of their academic adversaries. FOR MY MOTHER CONTENTS Part One: The Rise ofDeconstruction 15 Chapter 1: The End ofthe Word 17 Chapter 2: Crazy About Deconstruction 43 Chapter 3: Archie Debunking 65 Chapter 4: To the Linguistic Abyss 93 Chapter 5: A Key Idea 115 Part Two: The Fall ofPaul de Man 141 Chapter 6: The Fallen Idol 143 Chapter 7: The Stolen Evening 163 Chapter 8: Like Uncle, Like Son 185 Chapter 9: A Scandal in Academe 209 Chapter 10: Signs ofthe Times 245 Appendix: '*TheJews in Contemporary Literature'' by Paul de Man 269 Notes 273 Bibliography 295 Index 301