Continental Criticism: Deconstructionist or Marxist?

The deconstructionist and Marxist methods of criticism really grabbed my attention from all the readings for today's class. I want to reflect on each of them a bit.

I didn't know there was a name for critics who are specifically intrigued by the use of words. Well, that's me. I think I am deconstructionist in my critiquing and my writing. In my opinion, these deconstructionists are rebel-rousers. I linked then in my own mind to English Nazis (you know, those people who impulsively correct any verbal grammar mistakes you accidentally make). Again, that's me. I learned in one of my English classes to write with deliberate words in support of your argument. I think this lesson has in turn motivated me to pay more attention to the meanings of words in my formal arguments.
I also love the fact that the deconstructionist "accepts no utterance at face value and instead examines a text for what they find interesting, whether or not it coincides with the author's intended interpretation" (315). The issue of finding the author's meaning versus finding your own has been on my mind since early in high school. The way I see it, a lot of writers have long died and didn't necessarily leave behind a SparkNotes outline so that readers know exactly what they were trying to get at in their works. So many novels don't have one message or one symbolic interpretation or one whatever to be absorbed from reading the book. If a reader gets some extraordinary message out of a novel that wasn't intended to be there, who cares? If you tell the reader he was wrong, it only destroys his message.

So as for Marxist critics, I have to say that I'm probably not one when it comes to literary critques but when it comes to cultural and especially political critiques, I am at least part Marxist. It may be my liberal minded political science teachers that have molded me into a little Marxist, but I do tend to question motives of actions in relation to monetary gain for the elite. It is fairly easy to find sources to criticize for using rhetoric to advance the elitist. Turn on the TV; wait five minutes. I think that a lot of the economic factors that the Marxists harp on are also social factors. Even the way a person speaks could have to do with their economic class. (The stereotype of Harvard frat boys.. similar to a Mr. Carlton Banks a la The Fresh Prince) But I think this criticism is very pessimistic of the government even though I think good points are made with Marxist criticism. It would be sad to devote yourself to Marxist criticism only.