2003f Structuralism 1

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Structuralism & Poststructuralism (1):L inguistic (De-)Constructions of

Meanings and Subjectivities

1. Structuralism--Basic Concepts

2. Structuralist Reading of Narratives

3. Semiotics and "The Myth Today"

4. From Structuralism to Poststructuralism:

Binary Opposition & Deconstruction



Structuralism: Introduction

1. How does language produce meanings?

2. Structuralist Approach (1): basic pattern

and binary opposition

How is structure different from form?

How is New Criticism different from

Structuralism?



Outline

1. How does language produce meanings A. Language in Daily Language: Example 1

B. Different views of language: Example 2:sign = signifier and signified referent;

-- Structuralist view

2. Structuralist Approach (I):Binary

Opposition and Basic PatternExample: 1, 2, 3, 4

3. From New Criticism to Structuralism



A. Language in Daily Language

罵髒話； the uncertainties of meanings.

The meanings of language are not inherent (內在

的)．They depend on the context.Structuralism: Language is a system of relationand difference.

「政府官員」的意義決定於它和「平民百姓」

的不同；和「相聲演員」相近．

白馬非馬 White Horse is Not Horse.

Why?



白馬非馬︰

Possible interpretations

「馬者，所以命形也；白者，所以命色也。命色者非名形也。故曰：

“白馬非馬”。」公孫龍子 - 白馬論第二

1.「白」是顏色「馬」是形狀，

2. 馬是大範疇

白馬（馬中的一小範疇﹚

3. Structuralism:白馬 is a sign; it refers to our

concept of “white horse,” but not the actual

horse.



De Saussure

sign = signifier and signified

The inclusion of the concept within the triad of

signification suggests that there is no natural or

immediate relation between the words白馬(as a sign)

and the „thing‟馬(actual white horse).

Signifier +

意符

Signified

意旨

Referent

指涉

[白馬

] concept of

白馬

the actual

馬 we refer

to (?)



Different Views of Language

A. In Chinese Philosophy

言者，所以在意，得意而忘言。〈莊子〃外

物〉得兔忘蹄、得魚忘筌、得意忘言王弼說：「言者象之蹄也，象者意之筌。……

言者所以明象，得象而忘言。象者所以存意，得意而忘象。」（reference

語言（言、象: 象卦 symbols? 用為做工具

意：the meanings referred to or

道〃

http://www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~hkshp/humanities/ph95-07.htm

http://www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/~hkshp/humanities/ph95-07.htm




B. Structuralism: Meanings happen in language.

A rose is a rose, because it is different from . . .

grass

[ros]

[doz]rose

(p. of rise)

Carnation



Different Views of LanguageB. Structural ism:

Meanings happen in language.

A rose is a rose, because

-- its phoneme [o] is different from [ai] in [rise];

-- its morpheme [rose] is different that with an extramorpheme [roses];

Its meaning is determined by the syntax or context itexists in ; e.g.

“Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose . . . “

“Plant thou no roses at my head,Nor shady cypress tree:Be the green grass above meWith showers and dewdrops wet;”

“The pillow rose and floated under her, pleasant as ahammock in a light wind. ”



sign = signifier and signified

"The linguistic sign is arbitrary. It is unmotivated, i.e.

arbitrary in that it actually has no natural

connection with the signified."

-- e.g. The signs “dog,” “chien,” “狗” arbitrarily

refer to the concept of the animal dog.

-- Can be replaced by other signs;

-- Can create ambiguities.

-- What about Onomatopoeia,象形文字? Are there

natural resemblances between the signs and what

they refer to?（e.g. Cock-a-doodle-do, cocorico

&喔喔啼; ruff &汪汪)



structural linguistics: Ferdinand de

Saussure (textbook chap 3 pp. 89-95)

1857-1913, Swiss linguist; one of thefounders of modern linguistics.

Major ideas:

1. The synchronic vs. the diachronic; langue vs. parole

2. Language is a system of difference.

Meaning occurs in binary oppositionbetween two signs. (e.g. toy, boy)

3. sign = signifier and signified; theconnection between them is arbitrary.



Language as a system of

relation and difference

Relations: toy boy (sound),

table (noun; grammatical unit),

girl (antonym), etc.Difference: binary opposition

I saw a girl in red. (syntagmatic relations)

I am a girl.

a boy,

a dog, (paradigmatic relations)an ironing board.




de Saussure: synchronic studies of languageas a system of difference;

Roman Jakobson: meaning happens incommunication from sender to receiver,determined also by the medium and code used.

Kristeva‟s the semiotic: The language as

rhythms and drives supporting and disruptingthe logical/linear communication in language.

Atwood: Language as both social and selfconstructions. (e.g. love and her narration)



Structuralist Approach (1):

Basic Objects of Study

Units:

Example – phonemes

words

Princess, prince and astepmother

Rules: How to

combine into words

Select and combineinto a sentence.

combine into a fairy-tale. (Snow White andCinderella are in

structure the same story.)

Patterns – of basic units;

--of selection and

combination



Structuralism: From Units & Rules to

Basic Structure of a Certain Langue

Langue or signifying

system表意系統:

Examples: -- Literary work,

-- narratives (e.g. myth)

-- tribal or communityritual (a wedding, a rain

dance, a graduation

ceremony)

-- "fashion“ (in clothes,

food, cars, etc.)

-- any kind ofadvertisement



Structuralist Approach (1)

Structuralism: Examine the “basic

elements” (or basic units), which form the

basic pattern (or grammar) of each story. Basic elements: 最小元素 + “universal”

(or common) grammar a scientific

approach to literature. e.g. binaryopposition



Practice I:樂

篌

「公無渡河，公竟渡河，墮河而死，當奈公何?」

Binary opposition between公 and河； between the speaker (女人？) and公。

1.公試著克服河公被河克服。

2.公：( 男人；河：自然

3. Speaker : 試著阻止公；奈何公（自覺無力，或景仰公 human

attempts to conquer the impossible﹚。





Practice I:

Variation (2):向陽的四句聯

叫你別看

偏偏還看

看好

免掉煩惱

Variation (3):公無渡河

── 詩誌八掌溪事件《李友煌》.

http://www.cca.gov.tw/coffee/author/xiangyang/test7.htm


http://www.dolow.com.tw/22/22-ab-01-890724-01.htm
















Practice II:

“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

New Criticism:

-- ironic tension built around the concept

of „jilting‟ and weatherall vs. aging.

-- ambiguities produced in Granny‟s

mind.



“Granny Weatherall”: A Structuralist

Reading

binary opposition between being jilted and tryingto love and to keep;

Differences:-- jilted by her lover her husband (who died)

-- keeps a farm house and all the children but notHapsy loses her youth and beauty,

-- loses touch with reality (without her knowing it) but keeps her self-consciousness;

-- almost jilted by God keeps her dignity byfacing her death. (Her greatest loss is also a

greatest gain.)



Practice III:

The Oval Portrait binary opposition between

Living background-- night, delirium of the

speaker vs. clear narration of the past abandoned castle:, vs. decoration rich but

tattered and antique;

Armorial trophies vs. paintings in frames ofrich golden arabesque

Image alive and soft vs. thick frame and the

tradition of vignetting



Practice 4

Cube Man Cube: Try to find out its

pattern and what different signs refer to.

e.g. signs of “human” – bodily parts,human tools, human actions; setting.



Cube Men Cube

by Cerrit van Didn

Beginning and ending: why different?



Cube Men Cube: ending



Cube Men Cube

Setting one: outdoor scene; one cube

appears.



Cube Men Cube

Setting two:grass (then with zipper);



Cube Men Cube

Setting three: domestic scene;

Cloud



Cube Men Cube

Setting four: outdoor again, smoking and

producing little cubes.



Cube Men Cube

Setting five: building facade



Cube Men Cube

Tools: zipper, camera,

national flag,

Human attributes: eye,hand, photos,

Human Action:

taking photos, singing,

doubling, lifting oneflap after another,



Cube Men Cube

Action: swimming in a clothes-like sea,

smoking, birthing, fighting



Cube Men Cube

Human: buildings, money bill,

Tools: hand (fist), foot, stone, gun, machine

gun, cannon



Cube Men Cube: Interpretation

1. Theme:• gradual loss of nature; (e.g. nature zipped, in snow ball)• A story of human growth, connections(e,g, human tools;

doubling actions, extinguishing fire) and achievements,

which turns to have more and more conflicts (cigarette,canon).

• Form:• Human beings presented as cubes so that

1. Humans and their lives are simplified and de-naturalized – justa group of signs forming some patterns;

2. Humans with layers;3. Merging of humans and objects (e.g. tea box; camera eye; bird

becoming one layer of a cube)4. Background music – light and beautiful, but can be militarist

songs, too.



From New Criticism to Structuralism: Search for “the

common” or the universal

Form

an entity with interrelated parts.

Structure: basic pattern

Pygmalion And Galatea,

by Jean-Leon Gerome, after 1881



From New Criticism to

Structuralism

New Criticism: set up studies of English

Literature as a discipline.

In the 50‟s, there are more attempts atmaking English studies scientific and

objective. e.g. archetypal approaches;

Northrop Frye

spring summer autumn winter

comedy romance tragedy satire

Russian Formalism

1920’s



From New Criticism to

Structuralism

Compared with New Criticism,structuralist approaches to literature are

-- reductive;（化約式的﹚； -- more objective & scientific, does not rely

on common sense.

-- anti-Humanist-- Form to Structure, (later multiple language

structures and the racial relations theyimply).



Readings for next week:

Structuralism: Historical development,

sections on Saussure and Assumptions

chap 3 (87-98; 100) "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?"

Feel Free to read more.

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2003f Structuralism 1