Textual Spectralities: A Hauntological Framework for Reading Fiction
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Abstract
Drawing on Derrida’s concept of hauntology and the “spectral turn”, this paper proposes a hauntological analytical framework for literary texts, especially suited for fiction. It outlines five interrelated dimensions through which spectral elements in literature can be examined: textual, structural, thematic, narrative, and intertextual. The textual level focuses on microtextual aspects; the structural and thematic levels investigate the functions of literal and metaphorical ghosts and their role in articulating broader ideological concerns. The narrative level explores narrative strategies undermining time linearity and the narrator’s authority. Finally, the intertextual level considers the spectral relationship between texts. This framework, as a critical strategy, foregrounds the spectral nature of literature and engages with tensions, marginalised voices, and suppressed narratives.
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