Analysis of Structuralism and the Multiple Viewpoints in Miramar

Although an analysis of structure cannot provide a complete analysis of a literary work, it can be used as a method of approach in interpretation. Robert Detweiler, in his book Story, Sign, and Self: Phenomenology and Structuralism as Literary-Critical Methods, describes how structuralism attempts to analyze literature: "In every instance it is the structure, the relationship among phonemes, sentences, and other elements of discourse, and not the individual elements by themselves that produces meaning" (18). In other words, studying the structure of language and the work as a whole does not explain the meaning, but it can provide an understanding of how a piece of literature takes on meaning. Miramar, by Naguib Mahfouz, provides an example of the uses of structural analysis. Miramar consists of the same basic story, told from the point of view of four different characters. On the language level, the diction each narrator uses to tell their story sets them apart from the others, while highlighting the division of culture that each comes to represent. On the plot level, the repetition of the same basic events works to further develop the story each time it is told, while the unique point of view of each telling provides a well-rounded view through pluralistic storytelling. These central ideas come together to form the whole: a slice out of life in Egypt, the Pension Miramar, and the lives of its residents.�