Structuralism, as articulated by Ferdinand de Saussure, is a theory that analyzes phenomena through their interconnections, positing that meaning is relative and culturally constructed rather than fixed. It emphasizes the distinction between 'langue' (abstract language) and 'parole' (actual use), with signs composed of signifiers (words) and signifieds (mental concepts) that vary based on cultural context. While structuralism offers a disciplined approach to texts historically and cross-culturally, it encounters limitations in understanding who controls meaning and may restrict emotional engagement with the text.

1. STRUCTURALISM
Presented by : Laurence Angelo L. Silhay

2. Ferdinand De Saussure
The Father of Linguistics
WHAT IS STRUCTURALISM?
• Structuralism is a theory that analyzes and
explains phenomena by examining their
interconnectedness and interdependence.
• Structuralism holds that, according to the
human way of understanding things,
particular elements have no absolute
meaning or value: their meaning or value is
relative to other elements.
• The structuralist literary approach is
connected with the work of Ferdinand De
Saussure alongside other linguists from
Prague and Moscow. Saussure's structural
linguistics were profounded three related
concepts.

3. SIGN
• Saussure argued for a distinction
between langue and parole;
langue is an idealized
abstraction of a language while
parole is the languge that's
actually used in daily life
• Here, a sign is composed of two
components: the signified and the
signifier. A sign is any word you see in
the English Language, Signified is the
mental concept, and the signifier is
the marker or the word that refers to
the signified.

4. SIGN
• In the example below, the word "Dog" is the
signifier, while the signified is the image of the
dog, and the whole thing is referred to as the
sign.
• Hence, there is no fixed meaning attached to
the word.
• In this case, the word is dog, one may think of
a Golden Retriever or any dog breed while on
the other hand, I'm thinking of a Pomeranian.
The word dog may ring different mental
concepts.

5. ARBITRARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SIGNIFIED AND SIGNIFIER
• According to Saussure, the meaning of the
word is culturally constructed. In other words,
your mental concept is influenced through the
culture you grew up with
• For instance, is you are a Christian, Jesus Christ
is connected to the word God, but if you're a
Muslim, Allah is connected to the word God.
The word "God" can mean different for
everybody; that is what Saussure meant by
arbitrariness in language, there is no fixed sign.

6. ARBITRARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SIGNIFIED AND SIGNIFIER
• According to Saussure, the meaning of the
word is culturally constructed. In other words,
your mental concept is influenced through the
culture you grew up with
• For instance, is you are a Christian, Jesus Christ
is connected to the word God, but if you're a
Muslim, Allah is connected to the word God.
The word "God" can mean different for
everybody; that is what Saussure meant by
arbitrariness in language, there is no fixed sign.

7. ARBITRARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SIGNIFIED AND SIGNIFIER
• According to Saussure, the meaning of the
word is culturally constructed. In other words,
your mental concept is influenced through the
culture you grew up with
• For instance, is you are a Christian, Jesus Christ
is connected to the word God, but if you're a
Muslim, Allah is connected to the word God.
The word "God" can mean different for
everybody; that is what Saussure meant by
arbitrariness in language, there is no fixed sign.

8. BINARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORDS
• Since various languages have different words
to refer to, signs gain their meaning from their
relationships and contrasts with other signs. In
other words, when we try to define things, we
start with what they are not.
• For instance,
we say this
umbrella is
colorful,
because its is
not like the
other
umbrellas, how
did we define
that this
umbrella is
colorful? We
contrast it to
the things it is
not.

9. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
• Structuralism enables us to approach texts historically and
trans-culturally in a disciplined way.
STRENGTH
WEAKNESSES
• It is difficult to know who controls the meaning.
• Readers look only at the linguistics structure and is not
permitted to have emotional attachment to the text.