defamiliarizing

Defamiliarization, also known as ostranenie, is a literary and artistic technique intended to make the familiar seem strange. By presenting everyday objects, actions, or assumptions in unusual forms, art disrupts ordinary perception and prompts renewed attention. The concept originated with the Russian Formalists in the early 20th century, most prominently Viktor Shklovsky, who argued that art’s primary function is to renew perception by estranging the routine.

Defamiliarization works through various devices such as unusual diction, unexpected metaphor, fragmented or unconventional narration, and idiosyncratic point of view. By delaying recognition and forcing readers to interpret what they see and hear, the technique heightens awareness of language and experience, slows the pace of perception, and invites reflection on the act of seeing itself.

Although rooted in 1910s–1920s Russian theory, defamiliarization has become a broader methodological term in literature, film, theater, and visual arts. Writers like James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Franz Kafka have been described as employing defamiliarization through experimental narrative techniques, while filmmakers may use disorienting editing, unusual camera work, or surreal imagery to achieve similar effects.

Defamiliarization is distinct from mere novelty or shock; it aims to restructure perception rather than simply startle. It can overlap with estrangement and critique, offering insights by revealing how perception itself is constructed.