02/10

Semiotics & Reader-Response Theory

I] Semiotics
Study of signs. Cose to structuraism. !e"eopped in #0s & $0s.
Semiotics % &or' of the coded message.
RRT % The product of the reader(s acti"ity.
Semiotics % Science dedicated to the production of meaning of society. )o* meaning is produced
in society and con"eyed +y signs. ,ocuses on signs. Signs that can ony +e decoded *ith reference
gi"en from society.
RRT % ,ocuses more on the reader *ho acti"ate the signs.
1 - Sign theory - ,erdinand de Saussure
.odern semiotics deri"ed from the prog circe.
The signifier is a *ord/ an icon/ an o+0ect
The signified % The concept
1o natura connection +et*een a *ord and *hat it refers to.
)o* the in' +et*een signifier & signified +ecomes natura 2
2 - 3ppications
- 4arthes( Codes
4arthes cose to the prog Circe. 5ne of his most famous *or' % .ythoogie. Studied the codes/ the
myths that function in popuar ,rench cuture.
Tried to understand *hat certain o+0ect means for certain peope. Compare a ne* Citroen to a
cathedra. ,ound a these meaning in popuar day-to-day acti"ities. 3so *or'ed on iterature. )is
main appication of semiotics *as S/6. 3naysed 4a7ac(s short story 8Sarrasine9. 1o"es and short
stories function con"ey meaning in term of code.
: codes ;
- )ermeneutics Code<signs of interpretation= ; specia *ay. Recognition of an enigma/ a
mystery. Sthg has to +e eucidated
- >roairetic Code ; Code of action. >repares us to the ne?t action of a se@uence. Recognition
of a se@uance of action. &e anticipate *hat(s going to happen.
- Semic Codes ; 3nything refers to the characters.
- Cutura codes ; Referentia to the rea *ord. &hat the reader immediatey recognises.
- Sym+oic code ; Identify the centra Theme of a story. In 8Sarrasine9/ it *as the opposition
+et*een mae & femae/ se?ua identity.
!enotation ; &hat a *ord means.
Conotation ; &hat the *ord suggests
A?; The 4irds <!. !u .aurier=.
Sym+oic code ; series of oppositions <1oise +irds / Sient *ireess/ .3ny *ords/ fe* peope...=
Theem ; >o*er of nature
Cutura reference ; Bast cigarette
- Ceir Aam(s Semiotics of Theater & !rama
5ne type of code in"o"es framing de"ices. 3o*ed the audience to 'no* *hat is rea and *hat is
part of the performance. A?pore ho* deictics ; use referent depends on the position of the spea'er.
Sense of a pre-e?isted *ord +efore the +eginning of the action.
- Aco(s 3sthetics
The name of the rose is fu of messages. &hy is it +ecome a cut o+0ect2
>opuar fims/ great no"es/ a *or' the same *ay +ay refering to myths/ sym+os/ archetypes.
Dust as interesting in studying the *or'/ e"en of Dames Doyce.
3rchetype ; Image that spea's to e"eryone.
Aco *as infuenced from ,rye. 3ccording to ,rye/ e"erything in iterature is a re"i"ing of myths.
Aco(s more i'e 4arthe +c Aco(s archetype is a gi"en cuture/ +ut for 4arthe/ they are uni"ersa.
.o"ie Casa+ance ; # peope/ a *oman & t*o men *ho o"e her. Bo"e story.
Aco criticised this mo"ie ; 1ot a good mo"ie +ut fu of fundamenta images and o+0ects from deep
do*n in our cuture. .a'e the reader participate in a production of meaning.
II] Reader- Response Theory
1- >henomenoogy
>hiosophica system. Introduced +y
>> approach attends to trascent the o+0ect/su+0ect opposition. Repace the idea of su+0ect/o+0ect
<me/you E=+y the idea of a reationship/ interaction. Fuestion of the o+0ecti"e reaity of the *ord.
3s' us a+out our o*n consciousness.
)o* is this appied to RRT 2
It(s not the reader in one side & the +oo' in the other. It(s more a entity. They +ecome rea in the
process of reading.
Iser ; !ynamic process of sef-correction.
&hen *e read a te?t/ *e formuate hypothesis/ and sometimes *e found them or correct them as *e
mo"e aong. 3ctuaisation of the te?t ; 3cti"ity of generating meaning.
2 - 3ppication
A? ; Binden )is
Reference ; !ead +odies ; murdered/ he(s not a murderer +ut an underta'er. It e"o'es us the image
of a murderer first +ut *e correct this image. The author 'no* e?acty ho* the reader *i react.
# - The Impied Reader
The impied reader is the idea reader for *hom the story is *ritten for.
Cc; 4ringing in the rea *ord modes raises the @uestion of ho* sta+e the rea *ord changes.
1othing can +e ta'en for granted.