In this book, first published in 1987, Professor Schleifer sets Greimas' work in its intellectual context and sets forth the development of his distinctive style of interpretation. Moreover, the author goes on to consider Greimas' work against the latest examinations of discourse in philosophy, depth psychology, and literary criticism. He tests Greimas' semiotic square against Derridean deconstruction, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and the literary analyses of Paul de Man.

This book will constitute an important and lucid survey of an often inaccessible critic, and will be of interest to students of literature.