NOBEL : Journal of Literature and Language Teaching
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026): APRIL (On Progress)

Silence, Love, and Death: A Deconstructive Analysis of Michael and Marina Moonwater

Rifka, Hilyana Ainur (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study analyses Christopher Blaine's short story Michael and Marina Moonwater (2015) through Jacques Derrida's deconstructive theory. The short story depicts a relationship that has lasted for forty-six years and is based on silence, challenging the conventional assumption that love depends on understanding expressed through verbal communication. Derrida's concepts of différance and binary opposition are used to explore how silence, death, and love are present in unstable and contradictory meanings. This study applies a descriptive qualitative method with a focus on textual contradictions and the reversal of the hierarchy of meaning in the narrative. The results of the analysis show that the silence in Blaine's story can be interpreted as a form of the language of love, where absence gives birth to presence, implying that emotional understanding can be formed without the involvement of verbal language. This interpretation confirms that meaning in human relationships is fluid, never fixed, and always open to new interpretations.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

nobel

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

NOBEL: Journal of Literature and Language Teaching publishes articles on literature, language, and language teaching from various perspectives, covering both literary and fieldwork studies. The journal puts emphasis on aspects related to language studies, with special reference to culture, ...