This can help the viewers to understand the concept of Structuralism and Semiotics

1. STRUCTURALISM
and
SEMIOTICS

2. Semiotics

3. Whatissemiotics?

4. Semiotics
 astudyofvisuallanguageandsigns
 used to look at how different modes of
communication such as language, visuals, or
gestures work together to create meaning in
context

5.  canhelpusdevelopadeeperunderstandingofthe
worldaroundus,includingthemediaweseesuchas
films,news,advertisements,andetc.

6. SignsinSemiotics

7. Words Images Colors
Symbols Gestures Sounds
Fashion
SignsinSemiotics

8. Example:
“Breakfast”
“Apple”
“Ball”
Words

9. Example:
Images

10. Example:
Colors

11. Example:
Symbols

12. Example:
Gestures

13. Example:
musicplayedonthepianointheminorkey
Sounds

14. Example:Clothing
Fashion

15. Note:
The meaning of signs can differ depending on the
socialsituationandtheculturalcontext.

16. SemioticTheory

17. 1990’s–greatrise ininterestprimarily through
the application in the interpretation of literary
textsand,byextension,culture.
Background

18. FerdinanddeSaussure
(1857-1913)
SwissLinguist

19. CharlesSandersPeirce
(1839-1914)
AmericanLogicianandMathematician

20. Saussure’sconcept–linguistics
Peirce’sconcept- methodsoflogic

21. Saussure’s theory – sign is based on a twofold division and less
concerned with referent and instead emphasized the arbitrary nature
of the relationships between the signifier and signified as well as the
roleofthedifferencesbetweensignifiersintheproductionofmeaning.

22. Signifier - word, image, sound, or gesture representing a
conceptormeaning
Signified-interpretationofthemeaningofthesignifier
Signifiervs.Signified

23. Peirce’s theory - relies in the first place on the methods
of logic rather than on linguistics; for him the sign is
triadic, it is not based on a twofold division, as in
Saussure’sview.

24. TypesofSignifiers
(CharlesSandersPierce)
(Icons,Indexes,Symbols)

25. - a signifier with an obvious connection and physical
resemblancetothesignifiedthing.
- Photographs, illustrations, and maps are good examples
oficonsignifiers.
Iconsignifier

26. Example:
Iconsignifier

27. -lessobvioustypeofsignifier
- representation of the relationship between the signified and the
signifierandcannotexistwithoutthepresenceofthesignified.
Indexsignifier

28. Examples:
Smokeisanindexsignifierforfire
Dangerofdeathimagefoundonsomehouseholdproducts
Indexsignifier

29. - the most abstract among the signifiers (there is no apparent
connectionbetweenthesignifierandthesignified)
- can differ from country to country, and we have to take time to
teachandlearntheirmeaning
Symbolsignifier

30. -Examples:
Symbolsignifier
£ ₱

31. TypesofSignifiedMeaning
(Denotative,Connotative,Myths)

32. -literalmeaning(meaningfoundindictionary)
Example: Blue
- primary color between green and violet in the color
spectrum
DenotativeMeaning

33. -includesallofitsimpliedandassociatedmeanings
Example: Blue
- feelings of sadness, representations of the sky and the
ocean,andsymbolismoftrust,loyalty,andwisdom.
ConnotativeMeaning

34. - often religious or cultural and include many things seen in our
dailylives,suchasnorms,valuesandmanners.
Myths/MythologicalMeaning

35. Example:
- has many mythological meanings in Chinese cultures, such as balance, femininity,
darknessandpositivity.
Myths/MythologicalMeaning

36. SemioticAnalysis

37. -is when we take a medium of communication (e.g. a novel,
a blog, a poster, a textbook, an advertisement etc.) and
interpret the denotative, connotative, and mythological
meaningofallofthesignstogetherincontext.
SemioticAnalysis

38. -canbeusedinconductingdiscourseanalysis
Example:
Analyzinganewsarticle
SemioticAnalysis

40. Structuralism

41.  beganitsmovementin1950’sinFrance
 Pioneers:MichelFoucault,JacquesDerrida,Louis
Althusser,JacquesLacan
Background

42. FourPioneersofStructuralism
JacquesLacan MichelFoucault
JacquesDerrida
LouiseAlthusser

43.  Majorproponents:ClaudeLevi-Straussand Roland
Barthes
Background

44. StructuralismMajorProponent
RolandBarthes
ClaudeLevi-Strauss

45.  OriginofStructuralismisrootedtotheworkSwiss
linguist-FerdinanddeSaussure(FatherofStructuralism)
Background

46. FerdinanddeSaussure
TheFatherofStructuralism

47.  Structuralism emerged from theories of language and
linguistics where it looks at the underlying elements and
structures can be used as a channel to further interpret
thesurfacemeaningofthetextoridea.
Background

48. Structuralism is a way of perceiving the world in
termsofstructures.

49. STRUCTURALISM
It deals with a scientific process of identifying
and analyzing the codes, forms, the signs, the
systemsandsymbols.

50. STRUCTURALISM
It considered language as a system of signs and
signification, the elements of which are understandable
onlyinrelationtoeachotherandtothesystem.

51. EssenceofStructuralism:
“Things cannot be understood in isolation, they have to be seen in the
context of larger structures they are part of”, the contexts of larger
structures do not exist by themselves but are formed by our way of
perceivingtheworld.

52. MainCharacteristics
of
Structuralism

53. 1. Afocusontheunderlyingstructureofaliterarytext.
2. Themeaningofatextisintheinter-relationshipofitspart.
3. Binaryoppositionsarethekeyinunderstandingatext.
4. Theindividualityandpersonalityoftheauthorareunimportant.
5. Literarytextsareconstructs.
MainCharacteristicsofStructuralism

54. TenetsofStructuralism

55. 1. Languagehasstructure.
2. Languageisrelational.
3. Languageisconstitutive.
TenetsofStructuralism

56.  Literarytextshavesystemsthatunderliethem.
 Languageisjustacomplexsystemofsigns
 Sign–smallunitofmeaning
 SignifierandSignified
1.Languagehasstructure

57. SIGN
SIGNIFIER
SIGNIFIED
Thingsthatgivemeaning
-word/image
Whatisevokedinthemind
-mentalconcept

58. 1.Languagehasstructure.
Languageisarbitrary.
-there is no inherent or innate connection between the
word and the concept or between the signifier and the
signified.

59. 2.Languageisrelational.
 Languageisrelational
-cannotbeunderstoodinisolation
- meaning is related to others through binary
oppositionandparadigmaticchain

60. 2.Languageisrelational.
 BinaryOpposition
- system of pair which concepts are opposite in
meaning

61. 2.Languageisrelational.
 ParadigmaticChain
- particular way of receiving or organizing our
thoughts in relationship to complex objects or
situationsbeingcompared.

62. 3.Languageisconstitutive.
 Culture
-abigfactorinstructuralism
- different cultures have their own codes and
convention.

63. 3.Languageisconstitutive.
 “Text”or“Concept”
- part of structuralism in a way that it may
represents the system of codes and conventions of
theculture

64. Example: Alaskanperceivesarainbowhas5colorsnot7
colors.

65. Example:
Upuan Chair

66. Example: PlotofTragedyvs.PlotofRomance
Plotoftragedy–tragedydealswitheventsleadingupto
individualdeaths
PlotofRomance-emphasizesthecycleoflifeanddeath

67. 3.Languageisconstitutive.
 LangueandParole
 Langue - the larger structure or the system of the
languageorlanguageitself
 Parole - individual expression of the language or the
wordsweutter

68. Howcanweapplystructuralismtoaliterarypiece?

69. One must look on the structure and systems rather
than the overall concept or the meaning of a piece
wantedtoconvey.

70. Basicquestionstointerpretliterary
textsthroughStructuralism

71. 1. ArethereanypatternsintextAwhichare
similartopatternsintextB?
2. Arethereanyoppositesinthetextwhichare
setagainsteachother?

72. References:
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-literature/literary-criticism-
and-theory/structuralism-literary-theory/
Nasrullah Mambrol, Structuralism, literariness.org, 2016
Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory, 1983, 106
http://ebooks.unibuc.ro/lls/RaduSurdulescu-
FormStructuality/Thesemioticanalysisoftheliterarytext.htm
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-
9780190221911/obo-9780190221911-
0024.xml#:~:text=From%20these%20foundations%2C%20semiotics%20has,its
%20particular%2C%20historically%20based%20meanings.
http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/~raha/700_701_web/BarthesLO/codes_click.html#

73. Thankyouforlistening!