Journal of Research & Scholarly Output 2006 - Grimsby Institute of ...

Critical Circuits and
Textual Constructs:
Henry James’ 'The
Figure in the Carpet'
Dr. Donna Cox - Course Leader for the English Studies degree programme
at The Grimsby Institute. She considers this short story, published in 1896,
as a vehicle for the elucidation of critical engagement.
This paper will consider Henry James’ short
story ‘The Figure in the Carpet’, published in
1896, as a vehicle for the elucidation of
critical engagement. That a fictional
construct may be used to comment on
critical receptivity and theoretical aspects of
linguistic power is to posit engagement with
facets of linguistic structure as paradigmatic
of interpretative response. The text itself will
be considered to be transmissive of the
rhetorical mechanisms of textual analysis
because the act of criticism is both its
central focus and is inherent to its narrative
presentation. It will be considered that ‘the
figure’ acts as a central point towards which
critical desire directs its agency whilst the
critic is held captive to his interpretative
project, held in a domain of power
imposition within the virtual dimension of
literary criticism. Aesthetic pursuit then
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