Tiefensee contends that Kroetsch and his critics have, to some degree, misunderstood the implications of Derrida's "deconstruction" and adhere to a Bloomian "misreading" which is firmly grounded in traditional philosophy. She addresses the metaphysical presuppositions that govern Kroetsch's criticism, literary theory, and novels and considers the extent to which his theoretical pronouncements have determined his critics' readings of his work, concluding that Kroetsch reaffirms the very values, conventions, and attitudes he claims to resist.