Tom Tries Deconstruction

[Narrator is off stage.

tom and james are on stage in a “car”; tom is driving and james is the passenger; james is wearing boxy glasses and tom is wearing casual wear. Driving down new york city]

Narrator [not onstage]: Jacques Derrida was an Algerian-French deconstructionist philosopher. Deconstruction essentially suggests that we can destroy the connotations of our words and symbols so they become meaningless. Derrida is notorious for his confusing rhetoric and frequent use of the word “other.” In this play, Tom and James misunderstand what Derrida is saying (what a surprise!).

Tom: You know, I was thinking of donating to this charity that helps people in Africa. I’m trying to make the world a better place

James: I was actually reading this book by Derrida who said that deconstruction is what makes the world better

Tom: Dare-I’d-off? What is that incomprehensible-mumble-Esperanto?

James: No, the author Der-Rid-Ah. His first name is Jacques, but he does write in, as you say, “incomprehensible-mumble-Esperanto”.

Tom: So what does he say exactly?

James: Well, he says the other’s other will be the nemesis of the other others if we don’t deconstruct the central signifier of the other

Tom: wait, the other other will do what to the other other? I’m confused

James: no, it’s really obvious if you read his works! And it’s the other’s other and other others, not other other and other other

Tom: there are just too many others

James: yes, derrida actually says that there are infinite others

Tom: you mean, the other other other other other other other other forever?

James: no, but there are infinite other others, not other other other others

Tom: whatever. What exactly is the purpose of all those others?

James: well, since there are infinite others, you must deconstruct harmful things to have a chance of saving the world, which you said you wanted to do

[car approaches a stop sign.]

Tom: I should just deconstruct things?

James: well, yeah. I’ve only read 3 pages of his confusing stuff but I think that’s what Derrida said

[Tom stops, then mounts the curb and hits, runs over the stop sign, and then enters the road and speeds on, with the engine whirring in the background]

James: WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? You just ran over that Stop Sign. Are you crazy or what?

Tom: well, you said I should deconstruct things? That stop sign was obstructing my way so I just deconstructed it by running over it