Introduction The Play of Meanings lies at the centre of modern literary theory, capturing the shift from order to openness in how texts are read and understood. Wilfred L. Guerin’s A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature has long served as a standard textbook for exploring such shifts in interpretation. It introduces readers to the evolution of critical thought—from the structured logic of Structuralism to the self-questioning dynamics of Post-structuralism. Structuralism sought patterns, systems, and frameworks within literature, treating meaning...