Absence / Presence in Literary Theory

Etymology of Absence

The word “absence” comes from the Latin word absentia, which means “being away” or “not being present.” The Latin term is derived from the prefix “ab-,” meaning “away from,” and the verb “esse,” meaning “to be.”

In Old French, “absence” was spelled “absens,” and in Middle English, it was spelled “absens” or “absence.”

The concept of absence has been a part of human experience throughout history as people have long grappled with the absence of loved ones, the absence of things or ideas, and the absence of a sense of belonging or purpose.

The word “absence” is used to describe a state of being away or missing, and it has come to be associated with feelings of longing, emptiness, and loss.

Definition of Absence/Presence Concept

In literary theory, “absence” and “presence” refer to key concepts used to analyze the representation of characters, themes, or ideas in a narrative. “Absence” signifies elements deliberately omitted or left unexplored by the author, creating gaps or ambiguities that invite interpretation and engagement from the reader.

Conversely, “presence” indicates the deliberate inclusion and emphasis on certain elements within the text, often used to convey specific meanings or themes, thereby shaping the reader’s understanding of the work. These concepts help scholars analyze the deliberate choices authors make in crafting their narratives, shedding light on the complexities of textual interpretation and meaning-making.

Meanings of Theoretical Term “Absence / Presence”

Discipline	Meanings
Interdisciplinary	Theoretical term “Absence/Presence” occurs across various fields, including literature, philosophy, and cultural studies.
Literary Studies	In literary studies, absence/presence shows how an author or text creates a sense of something that is not physically present but is still felt or implied. Examples include the absence of a character, an event, or an idea suggested through the use of language or symbolism.
Philosophy	In philosophy, absence/presence relates to how objects or concepts are present in our consciousness or perception. It includes the idea that objects exist in our minds even when they are not physically present in our immediate environment. It also emphasizes that the absence of something can hold as much significance as its presence.
Cultural Studies	In cultural studies, absence/presence describes the representation or exclusion of certain groups or ideas in popular culture or media. It addresses issues such as the absence of particular voices or perspectives in a film or television show, highlighting broader concerns related to representation and power dynamics.

Use of “Absence / Presence” in Literary Theories

• Structuralism: Structuralist literary theory explores how absence and presence work in the structure of a text, including the relationship between the implicit or hidden meanings of a text and its explicit content.
• Psychoanalytic theory: Psychoanalytic literary theory uses the concept of absence/presence to explore how unconscious desires, anxieties, and traumas are represented in literature, often through absences or gaps in a text.
• Deconstruction: Deconstructionist literary theory focuses on language how it creates gaps in meaning, and how these absences can be explored to challenge traditional interpretations of a text.
• Postcolonial theory: Postcolonial literary theory examines how the absence/presence of certain types of language, cultural traditions, or perspectives can reflect larger power dynamics and histories of colonization and oppression.
• Feminist theory: Feminist literary theory uses the concept of absence/presence to explore the ways in which gender roles and identities are constructed through language and representation, often through the absence or marginalization of women’s voices and experiences.
• Queer theory: Queer literary theory examines the ways in which absence/presence are used to construct sexual and gender identities in literature, including the ways in which non-normative sexualities and genders are excluded or marginalized in literary traditions.

Different Theorists on “Absence / Presence”

Theorist	Work (Year)	Explanation of Concept
Jacques Derrida	“Différance” (1960s)	Derrida’s concept of “différance” describes how meaning is deferred and deferred, never fully present or fully absent. He argues that the concept of presence is always haunted by absence, and that meaning is created through the interplay between the two.
Roland Barthes	“The Death of the Author” (1967)	Barthes explores how meaning is created through the absence/presence of the author. He argues that the author’s intentions are always present in the text, even if not explicitly stated, and that readers must negotiate between the author’s presence and absence to create meaning.
Michel Foucault	“What is an Author?” (1969)	Foucault’s concept of “the absent author” is related to Barthes’ idea of the author’s absence/presence. He argues that the author’s identity is irrelevant to a text’s meaning, which is instead shaped by the reader’s interpretation within its historical and cultural context.
Julia Kristeva	“Powers of Horror” (1980)	Kristeva’s theory of “abjection” explores how the body is simultaneously present and absent. She argues that the body exists on the threshold between self and other, and that meaning is formed through this liminal space of abjection.
Edward Said	Orientalism (1978)	Said’s concept of “orientalism” examines how the East is present in the West through its absence. He argues that Western representations of the East are defined by what is missing from those representations, creating a sense of exoticism and otherness used to justify Western imperialism.
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak	“Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988)	Spivak’s concept of “strategic essentialism” explores how marginalized groups can use essentialist identity politics as a strategic tool to resist dominant power structures. She argues that these essentialisms are both present and absent simultaneously and must be used strategically for meaningful change.

These theorists have made significant contributions to our understanding of how meaning is constructed, often emphasizing the interplay between presence this concept in various contexts.Top of Form

Examples “Absence / Presence” from Literature

1. Hamlet by William Shakespeare: The absence of Hamlet’s father, who has been murdered by his own brother, is a major theme in the play. Although the character of the ghost appears to Hamlet to reveal the truth about his father’s death, the audience never sees the ghost itself, and its presence is always felt as an absence.
2. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot: The poem is characterized by a sense of absence or emptiness, both in the speaker’s internal life and in his external environment. The presence of the city is felt as an overwhelming absence of meaningful human connection, and the speaker’s sense of self is defined by what is missing from his life.
3. Beloved by Toni Morrison: The novel explores the concept of absence/presence through the character of Sethe’s deceased daughter, Beloved. Although Beloved is physically absent for much of the novel, her presence is felt throughout the story as a haunting presence that disrupts the lives of the characters.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: The character of Gatsby is defined by his absence as much as his presence. Although Gatsby is physically present throughout much of the novel, his true identity and history are shrouded in mystery, and his past is defined by its absence.
5. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The short story uses absence/presence to explore the mental state of the protagonist, who is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper. The wallpaper becomes a symbol of the protagonist’s mental state, and its presence is felt as an overwhelming absence of agency and control.
6. “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett: The play is characterized by a sense of emptiness, both in the physical environment and in the characters’ internal lives. The characters wait for the arrival of Godot, who never appears, and their conversations are defined by what is missing from their lives. The play’s use of absence/presence reflects larger existential themes about the nature of human existence.

Literary Theories and Absence

Literary Theory	Reference	Explanation
Deconstructionism	Derrida’s “Signature Event Context” (1972)	In Deconstructionism, Jacques Derrida’s work introduces the concept of différance, which posits that meaning is inherently elusive and that the presence of meaning is always interwoven with its absence. This theory underscores the instability of language and text, emphasizing how language defers meaning and how absence and presence are inextricably linked. Deconstructionist analysis delves into the textual gaps, contradictions, and aporias that highlight how meaning emerges from what remains unsaid, unexamined, or deferred in a text.
Structuralism	Influenced by structuralist theories	Structuralist literary theory, influenced by Ferdinand de Saussure’s linguistics, reveals this concept through binary oppositions and structural elements in narratives. Meaning is derived from the relationships and contrasts between these binary pairs. Absence becomes significant as it shapes the text’s underlying structures, where what is excluded or omitted contributes to the overall meaning of the narrative.
Reader-Response Theory	Iser’s “The Act of Reading” (1976)	Reader-Response Theory, as expounded by Wolfgang Iser, recognizes the pivotal role of the reader in the construction of meaning. It posits that readers actively engage with a text, making sense of what is present and absent. The concept of absence in this theory is manifested in the spaces between the lines, where readers must interpret and fill in the gaps. The reader’s experience becomes an act of negotiation between what is explicitly stated and what remains implied, forming a dynamic process of meaning-making.
Feminist Literary Theory	Butler’s “Gender Trouble” (1990)	Feminist Literary Theory frequently addresses the absence or marginalization of women’s voices, experiences, and perspectives within literature. It asserts that what is missing or underrepresented holds significant implications. This concept within this theory prompts critical examinations of patriarchal norms and the amplification of silenced perspectives. Feminist critics aim to illuminate the gender-related gaps and absences in texts to challenge dominant narratives.
Postcolonial Theory	Said’s “Orientalism” (1978)	Postcolonial Theory, as elucidated by Edward Said, draws attention to the concept of absence in the context of colonial representations. It examines how Western texts often portray non-Western cultures through what is missing, misunderstood, or misrepresented. These absences create a sense of exoticism and otherness, reinforcing colonial power structures. Postcolonial scholars engage in deconstructing these representations and revealing the hidden narratives and voices within the colonized regions.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Freud’s “Interpretation of Dreams” (1899)	Psychoanalytic Literary Theory, rooted in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis and Jacques Lacan’s concepts, explores this concept in terms of repressed thoughts, desires, and anxieties. Characters in literature often exhibit neuroses or engage in symbolic actions as a means of compensating for what is absent or suppressed within their psyches. The narrative thus becomes a space where unconscious elements manifest symbolically, offering insights into character motivations and psychological conflicts.

Suggested Readings

1. Barthes, Roland. The Pleasure of the Text. Translated by Richard Miller, Hill and Wang, 1975.
2. Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.
3. Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Translated by James Strachey, Avon Books, 1980.
4. Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.
5. Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Translated by Leon S. Roudiez, Columbia University Press, 1982.
6. Said, Edward. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1979.
7. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture, edited by Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg, University of Illinois Press, 1988.
8. Strauss, Leo. On Tyranny. University of Chicago Press, 2000.