How did Paul de Man and J. Hillis Miller contribute to deconstruction at Yale University?

At Yale University, Paul de Man and J. Hillis Miller were the most prominent members of the Yale school, a group that popularized deconstruction in America during the 1970s and 1980s.1

Paul de Man, a professor of comparative literature, was closely allied with the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. De Man grounded his critical theories in a system of rhetorical figures, as seen in his influential works Blindness & Insight and Allegories of Reading.1

J. Hillis Miller was instrumental in connecting North American criticism with Continental philosophical thought. While his earlier work focused on the mind of the writer and theological concerns, he shifted his focus by 1970 to deconstructionist theory. At Yale, Miller frequently defended the movement against accusations of nihilism, emphasizing the role of textual opposites, differences, and the interpenetration of literature and theory.12

Together, these critics collaborated on the book Deconstruction and Criticism (1979), which remains a key text associated with the group's legacy.1