Deconstructive reading of advertisement

अब वक़्त हैं पहेचान बनाने का.

Hello Friends,

Reading between the lines, This is what well flourished and famous quote around us. Everyone hints us that if you really want to absorb the  meaning of the text or anything, you should focus upon reading which is not written or said. What is this actually? Does it really possible to pick out which is absent? The answer is very simple that only telling lies is not untrue, but concealing the truth is a big lie. What I mean to say is, If we always perceive with the eye what is privileged then where does the absence go? Thus,

Deconstruction is also nothing but the inquiry of concealing truth.

If I say, here I am trying to deconstruct women’s place in society, even Derrida himself might get angry on me because any ordinary person might think that probably I am describing something which is all-about theoretical but let me be very clear that of course it is theoretical and near to impossible to apply it in  practical. Derrida’s theory of deconstruction is never about breaking the foundation but it’s all about inquiring into the foundation.  Thus, 

back-bone of deconstruction is, 

“How we see is, what we see.”

Now-a-days we are listening that gender inequality is almost abolished. Women are reaching to the stars, women have showed their excellence and power beyond men, too. Does it really true? We should not forget that women are still struggling and suffering as it is! No doubt, in this very present time it is very difficult to see that women are marginalized and diminished. Perhaps you may answer that it’s just because of patriarchal society. But how we forget that it’s not only society which is patriarchal but construction of people is even patriarchal and that’s why everything which should be opposed, is taken for granted even by women.

Society depends upon both man and woman, but man’s work is to be seen as superior or hard work, while what woman does? Nothing! Who works in house is doing nothing because household work does not lead to any financial security or also not bring even social reputation. Without any conviction, women have accepted that household work is their work and it should be done by them only.  In this 21^st century, known as modern era where women are also equally participating as man but they are forced to maintain both household work and outside work too. 

अब वक़्त हैं पहेचान बनाने का.

Let’s try to put this arguments valid with the support of Derrida’s theory of deconstruction.

To see how women are constantly used to constructed in society, let’s have a look on one advertisement अब वक़्त हैं पहेचान बनाने का.

Before starting to hammer into the basement of this advertisement, It is worthy to make sure that language doesn’t just reflect or record the word rather it shapes. So, my reading of this advertisement will certainly against itself, will produces a sense of disunity, of a advertisement engaged in a civil war with itself.  This advertisement is to be seen as women centric. It shows that women are also getting chance to have their own jobs, are also having opportunities to make their own identity in this world.  

But as Derrida says, 

“Language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique.” 

This leads us actually sums up the inquiry into the foundation.

Structural reading of this advertisement brings us idea that women are growing and progressing with the time, See! Husband is also not having any kind of issue or difficulty or not having problem too with his wife’s own identity in this society. It is entirely surface reading!

When we say husband allows her wife to work outside or to create her own identity, it itself problematic. ‘Women are allowed’ means women are still somewhere inferior and that’s why some counted freedom are given to them and they should be obey too! This is covered narrative which can be only seen with the theory of deconstruction.

It was necessary to begin thinking that there was no center, that the center could not be thought in the form of a present being, that the center had no natural site, that is was not a fixed focus but a function, a sort of nonlocals in which an infinite number of sign-substitutions came into play.

-Jacues Derrida

Now, if we try to get inquiry into this advertisement it will unfold in front of us as ‘Public notice of sale’.  Covered narrative of this says, “Women are free to concede their excellences but their prime duty of household work it must be completed! One of the interesting structure is also unfolding to us is that women’s substantial object is always cleaning! 

Derrida says, 

‘The centre is not the centre. The centre is paradoxically within the structure and outside it means…. has its centre elsewhere.’

Let’s try to identify language trap and then falls into it.

When wife says “Bartan to ho gaye” audience also feel kind of relaxation that work is done. And “MAtlab abhi waqt hain”  binds our understanding that women are allowed to work if they find extra time. Think Yourself: What does narrative of this line wants to convey us through the extra time? It seems that it’s not advertisement of VIM BAR but it shows that women should complete their household work within rest of time.  Friends, it’s all just because words are always contaminated by their opposites. 

Deconstructive reading of this advertisement aim to produce disunity, to show that what had looked like unity and coherence actually contains contradictions and conflicts which society cannot stabilize and contain.

At the very end of the advertisement wife is having her own cake-bakery, but women are bound and that’s why women audience feel sympathized too. Another covered narrative is also that women are advised to work household works and she is also earning but her earning is also only from making cake means kitchen is something which is perfect place for women. Even we are also not having any kind of difficulty while watching these kinds of adds while watching TV serial or movies or cinema. Question is not that women have accepted this, but question is that women are not even aware of that they are marginalized and they are in need to raise their voice too.   

This advertisement is highly man centric rather than women centric. How? Throughout the whole advertisement utensils are much focused.  Even when Divya(wife) menaging her bakery, her husband is behind her.  Deconstruction reading certainly punch here that women are supposed to have support of their husband or of any male if they want to independent or to fulfill their dream.  Veneer level may say, wife does not need to be worry as they are doing household works because their husband will help them to come out of it. Very trivial but fundamental question is that why women are supposed to need have help of women? Why they have to carry out household work?

Look, how man centric society gets supportive back day by day even through media. What is served to us is not as much important as how narratives are served to us. 

Thus, advertisement follows the tendency to repress or neglect women as Derrida calls Phonocentricism is a manifestation of loogocentricism, to privilege presence over absence, here women are not absent but always in the periphery yet not realized because of patriarchal structure itself.

Now, certainly it would be clear that women are free, but in their boundries! Because what we connects with visualization of this is convention and convention is always social which notion is dismantled by Derrida.

Thank You.