A Deconstructive Reading of David Mamet’s Race

This article presents a deconstructive analysis of David Mamet’s Race, applying the post-structuralist theories of Jacques Derrida to explore the instability of language and the collapse of binary oppositions in contemporary drama. The study argues that Race exemplifies the core tenets of deconstruction by problematizing racial discourse and dismantling logocentric assumptions embedded within legal and moral language. Through Mamet’s terse dialogue and structurally minimalist setting—a law office grappling with a racially charged rape case—the play becomes a dynamic site for investigating différance, aporia, phonocentrism, and the metaphysics of presence. Unlike traditional interpretations that seek thematic resolution, this study embraces the undecidability inherent in the text. It demonstrates how Mamet destabilizes the dichotomies of Black/White, guilt/innocence, and truth/falsehood, rendering them irreducible and mutually dependent. By engaging thirty key sources embedded within the original thesis, the article provides a comprehensive critical apparatus for analyzing postmodern drama through a deconstructive lens.

کلیدواژه ها:

Deconstruction ، Jacques Derrida ، Logocentrism ، Binary Oppositions ، Différance ، Aporia