Short and Sweet Version of Sign/Signified/Signifier

One component of formalism is symbolism. I have been conversing with the professor of a blog-enhanced Literary Theory course at The College of Saint Rose. One of her students have recently posted on

Short and Sweet Version of Sign/Signified/Signifier« Cara Whalen

The signifier is the ’configuration of sound elements that represent a word or other units in a language’ (www.dictionary.com). Therefore, it represents the word. When the signified (the concept/idea/picture) is added with the signifier (the word) you then connect the two and receive the sing (the whole). Therefore, SIGN = SIGNIFIED + SIGNIFIER. This equation shows that you can’t have the sign without both parts. If you have just the word but nothing to relate it to, for example, saying the word cup and not knowing what a cup is. One is not able to link the word with the object. Therefore, it would be meaningless.

Other students have posted on the difference between language and speech, and the material value of signs.

These topics are all related to the linguistic approach to literary criticism, advocated by Ferdinand de Saussure. His linguistic theories of signs and signifiers made their way into lit crit via structuralism. I just saw M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water," but his "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense" all lend themselves to a structuralist interpretation. ("Lady in the Water" even features an annoying literary critic who arrogantly spouts an incredibly wrong analysis of the plot of the movie in progress; when the protagonist tries to act on this bad analysis, disaster results, and a demon dog kills the literary critic. Analyze THAT, me buckos!)

Those of you who remember Foster's "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" may remember chapters on how everything is a quest, how stories constantly refer to other stories, and there is ultimately only one story.

Saussure was a big influence on many of these ideas. We aren't scheduled to get to structuralism until we get through reader response and realism, but if you'd like to sample lit crit through the experiences of another set of students who are using a different text, I bet there is a lot all of can learn through the discussion.

The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Author 2

Watson, ''Are Poems Historical Acts?''

In Keesey, Ch 1

Shakespeare, The Tempest

If you are not already familiar with this play, you will need to read it or watch a video in order to fully understand the assigned critical readings.

Yachnin, ''Shakespare and the Idea of Obedience: Gonzalo in The Tempest

In Keesey, Ch 1

Austin, ''Toward Resolving Keats's Grecian Urn Ode

In Keesey, Ch 1

Keesey, Ch 2 (Introduction)

Brooks, ''Irony as a Principle of Structure''

In Keesey, Ch 2

Murfin and Ray, Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms

On your blog, post a brief paragraph that demonstrates your knowledge of one term that you had to look up.