Context and the "Impossibility" Trope

Context has always been a major issue in textual scholarship, especially in determining whether a particular reading in a text is to be judged as "impossible" given the linguistic and cultural context in which it occurs. This "impossibility" trope, first enunciated by the "conservative" critic R. B. Mckerrow, is used as a template for discussing a wide array of examples in which the "inside" and "outside" of a text seem to be in conflict. These range from "Slutwalks" in India to our ability to "correct" faulty street signs to the diagnosis of autism to Peter Greenaway's audio-video installation of Veronese's Wedding at Cana at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Throughout, the Derridean metaphor of "invagination" provides a useful vehicle for the discussion.