Recontextualization: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept
Etymology/Term: The word “recontextualization” stems from Latin roots, combining “re-” (again), “con-” (together), and “textus” (weave). It denotes the process of deliberately extracting something from its original setting and placing it into a new and different context.
Meanings and Concept:
- Shift in Meaning: Recontextualization fundamentally alters the original understanding of the item, concept, or text.
- New Relationships: Within the new setting, the recontextualized element forms fresh connections and interpretations.
- Intentional or Unintentional: Can be a conscious creative strategy for artists, writers, or social commentators, or an unconscious result of shifting perspectives.
- Challenges Original Interpretation: Recontextualization encourages critical thinking by questioning established meanings.
Recontextualization: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Recontextualization is the process of interpreting or understanding a theoretical term within a different framework or context than it was originally conceived. It involves examining the term’s meaning and significance in new contexts, often shedding light on its applicability or relevance in diverse settings. Through recontextualization, theoretical terms can gain new layers of interpretation and may contribute to evolving theories or understandings within various disciplines.
Recontextualization: Theorists, Works and Arguments
| Theorist | Work | Argument |
| Michel Foucault | The Archaeology of Knowledge | Foucault argues that knowledge is historically contingent and shaped by the contexts in which it is produced. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how discourses are situated within specific historical and cultural frameworks. |
| Stuart Hall | Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse | Hall proposes the theory of encoding/decoding, which suggests that media messages are encoded with preferred meanings by producers but decoded differently by audiences based on their social and cultural backgrounds. Recontextualization occurs in the interpretation of these messages. |
| Judith Butler | Gender Trouble | Butler examines how gender identities are constructed through repeated performances and argues that these identities can be recontextualized through acts of subversion and resistance, challenging established norms and binaries. |
| Edward Said | Orientalism | Said critiques Western representations of the “Orient” and argues that these representations are products of power dynamics and colonialist discourses. Recontextualization involves challenging and deconstructing these orientalist narratives. |
Recontextualization: Major Characteristics
- Adaptation: Recontextualization involves adapting ideas, themes, or concepts from one context to another, akin to how Shakespeare adapted the story of Hamlet from earlier sources in his play Hamlet.
- Interpretation: It entails interpreting and understanding a concept or text within a new framework, similar to how different readers interpret the symbolism of the green light in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
- Transformation: Recontextualization often leads to the transformation of meaning, as seen in how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been recontextualized in various film adaptations, each presenting different interpretations of the story.
- Intertextuality: It involves the incorporation of references or elements from other texts or contexts, such as the use of biblical allusions throughout Toni Morrison’s Beloved to add layers of meaning and resonance.
- Cultural Critique: Recontextualization can serve as a tool for cultural critique, as exemplified by the reimagining of traditional fairy tales in Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, which subverts gender norms and critiques societal expectations.
- Temporal Shifts: It encompasses temporal shifts, where ideas or texts from the past are reinterpreted in light of contemporary perspectives, akin to how Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart offers a recontextualized portrayal of African society through a post-colonial lens.
These characteristics demonstrate the diverse ways in which recontextualization manifests in literature and culture, enriching our understanding and appreciation of texts across time and space.
Recontextualization: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | How Recontextualization is Relevant | Example |
| Reader-Response Theory | Readers actively construct meaning based on their own experiences and understanding. Recontextualizing a text through different personal lenses leads to diverse interpretations. | A young adult in 2023 might interpret Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet through their understanding of modern relationships, making it distinct from interpretations of the past. |
| New Historicism | Views literature as a product of its specific historical and cultural moment. Recontextualizing works allows readers to analyze how the original social context shaped their meaning, and how they are reinterpreted in light of changing times. | Understanding how colonialism influenced Jane Austen’s novels alters how we read social dynamics and power structures within them. |
| Postmodernism | Challenges the notion of stable meanings, emphasizing open-endedness and playfulness. Recontextualization is utilized to deconstruct established narratives, create parody, and mix genres in unconventional ways. | A fanfiction author borrowing characters from a classic novel and placing them into a science fiction setting. |
| Feminist Theory | Focuses on how gender influences the production and interpretation of literature. Recontextualizing works with a feminist lens exposes patriarchal assumptions and gives greater voice to marginalized female characters or authors. | Re-examining fairy tales through a feminist lens can reveal the social expectations imposed on women in the original versions. |
| Postcolonial Theory | Investigates the power dynamics between colonized and colonizing cultures. Recontextualization helps to decenter the Western perspective, revealing how works from colonized peoples were reappropriated or reinterpreted for the colonizer’s purposes. | Analyzing how a novel set during British occupation of India shifts in meaning depending on whether it’s read by an Indian or British audience. |
Recontextualization: Application in Critiques
- The Merchant of Venice
- Traditional Interpretation: Often viewed as a play exploring themes of religious conflict, justice, and mercy. The character of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, has been the subject of much debate—is he a villain or a victim?
- Recontextualization through a Postcolonial Lens: Reading the play against the backdrop of colonialism and rising European antisemitism reveals new layers of meaning. Shylock can be seen as a figure representing dispossessed and marginalized groups, his insistence on the letter of the law a desperate cry for a justice denied by the dominant social order. The play might be reinterpreted as a commentary on the hypocrisy of a Christian society that preaches love and mercy, yet ostracizes and oppresses those it deems “other.”
- Recontextualization through a Feminist Lens: Examining Portia, often hailed for her cleverness, offers a different perspective. While she exhibits agency, her power is ultimately constrained by patriarchal structures. Her cross-dressing disguise underscores how she must adopt masculine traits to navigate and successfully manipulate the legal system. The play might thus expose the limitations of female power within its historical context.
2. Hamlet
- Traditional Interpretation: Focuses on Hamlet’s internal struggle—grief, revenge, and questions of existence. The play is renowned for its soliloquies and exploration of human psychology.
- Recontextualization through a Disability Studies Lens: Hamlet’s melancholia and erratic behavior could be viewed through the lens of mental illness or disability. This challenges the romantic portrayal of his madness and offers a more nuanced portrayal of mental health. It draws attention to how society views and treats those it stigmatizes as “mentally unfit.”
- Recontextualization through a Queer Lens: The intense, emotionally-charged friendship between Hamlet and Horatio invites reexamination for queer subtext. The play’s focus on betrayal and disillusionment could resonate with experiences of marginalization and the need to conceal one’s true self within a hostile world.
Key Takeaways
- Recontextualization Unlocks New Insights: These examples demonstrate how recontextualization offers new ways to read familiar Shakespearean works, revealing layers of complexity that traditional interpretations might miss.
- Reflects Our Time: Our critiques are shaped by the social, political, and cultural concerns of our own era. Recontextualization allows us to engage in a conversation with the past while being grounded in the concerns of the present.
Recontextualization: Relevant Terms
| Theoretical Term | Definition |
| Intertextuality | Relationship between texts, where one incorporates elements of another. |
| Deconstruction | Critical approach revealing underlying assumptions by analyzing contradictions within texts. |
| Hybridity | Blending different cultural elements or identities to create diversity. |
| Postcolonialism | Study of colonialism’s effects on societies, cultures, and identities. |
| Dialogism | Meaning construction through dialogue and interaction between perspectives. |
| Cultural Hegemony | Dominance of a culture’s beliefs, values, and norms over others in a society. |
| Power Dynamics | Relationships where power is exercised, contested, and negotiated. |
| Discursive Formation | Process constructing social and cultural phenomena through language. |
| Cultural Appropriation | Adoption of elements from a marginalized culture by a dominant one. |
| Hybrid Discourse | Discourse combining elements from different cultural or social contexts. |
Recontextualization: Suggested Readings
Core Texts
- Barthes, Roland. “The Death of the Author.” Image-Music-Text. Hill and Wang, 1977, pp. 142-148.
- Foucault, Michel. “What Is an Author?” The Foucault Reader, edited by Paul Rabinow. Pantheon Books, 1984, pp. 101-120.
- Greenblatt, Stephen. Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare. University of Chicago Press, 1980.
Additional Recommended Readings
- Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.
- Genette, Gérard. Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree. University of Nebraska Press, 1997.
