Structuralism & Poststructuralism (1): Linguistic (De-)Constructions of Meanings and Subjectivities

1. Structuralism & Poststructuralism (1): Linguistic (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

2. 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?

3. Outline • 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 • Structuralist Approach(I):Binary Opposition and Basic Pattern Example: 1, 2, 3, 4 3. From New Criticism to Structuralism

4. 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 relation and 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?

5. 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， • 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.

6. 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).

7. 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．

8. Different Views of Language B. Structuralism: Meanings happen in language. A rose is a rose, because it is different from . . . [ros] Carnation grass rose (p. of rise) [doz]

9. Different Views of Language B. Structuralism: 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 extra morpheme [roses]; • Its meaning is determined by the syntax or context it exists 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 a hammock in a light wind. ”

10. 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)

11. structural linguistics:Ferdinand de Saussure(textbook chap 3 pp. 89-95) 1857-1913, Swiss linguist; one of the founders 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 opposition between two signs. (e.g. toy, boy) 3.sign = signifier and signified; the connection between them is arbitrary.

12. 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.

13. Different Views of Language • de Saussure: synchronic studies of language as a system of difference; • Roman Jakobson: meaning happens in communication from sender to receiver, determined also by the medium and code used. • Kristeva’s the semiotic: The language as rhythms and drives supporting and disrupting the logical/linear communication in language. • Atwood: Language as both social and self constructions. (e.g. love and her narration)

14. Units: Example – phonemes words Princess, prince and a stepmother Rules: How to  combine into words  Select and combine into a sentence.  combine into a fairy-tale. (Snow White and Cinderella are in structure the same story.) Structuralist Approach (1): Basic Objects of Study Patterns –of basic units; --of selection and combination

15. Langue or signifying system 表意系統: Examples: -- Literary work, -- narratives (e.g. myth) -- tribal or community ritual (a wedding, a rain dance, a graduation ceremony) -- "fashion“ (in clothes, food, cars, etc.) -- any kind of advertisement Structuralism: From Units & Rules to Basic Structure of a Certain Langue

16. 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. binary opposition

17. Practice I: 樂 府 詩箜篌引 「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﹚。

18. Practice I: Variation (1): 「公無渡河，公竟渡河，墮河而死，當奈公何?」據說，這是漢代一對夫妻的悲慘境遇：一名白首狂夫不理會妻子在岸邊呼喚，逕自直奔水中央而捨去性命，他太太吟了這首詩以後，也投河自盡。（source: 枯萎年代 ﹚ Another basic unit: Mythemes (or themes): -- Liebestod (love death).梁祝 -- Conquering Nature: Prometheus  激流四勇士

19. Practice I: Variation (2):向陽的四句聯 叫你別看偏偏還看看了也好免掉煩惱 Variation (3):公無渡河 ──詩誌八掌溪事件 《李友煌》.

20. 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.

21. “Granny Weatherall”: A Structuralist Reading binary opposition between being jiltedand trying to love and to keep; Differences: -- jilted by her lover  her husband (who died) -- keeps a farm house and all the children but not Hapsy  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 by facing her death. (Her greatest loss is also a greatest gain.)

22. Practice III: • The Oval Portraitbinary 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 of rich golden arabesque • Image alive and soft vs. thick frame and the tradition of vignetting

23. 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.

24. Cube Men Cube by Cerrit van Didn  Beginning and ending: why different?

25. Cube Men Cube: ending

26. Cube Men Cube  Setting one: outdoor scene; one cube appears.

27. Cube Men Cube  Setting two:grass (then with zipper);

28. Cube Men Cube  Setting three: domestic scene; Cloud

29. Cube Men Cube  Setting four: outdoor again, smoking and producing little cubes.

30. Cube Men Cube  Setting five: building facade

31.  Tools: zipper, camera, national flag,  Human attributes: eye, hand, photos,  Human Action: taking photos, singing, doubling, lifting one flap after another, Cube Men Cube

32. Action: swimming in a clothes-like sea, smoking, birthing, fighting Cube Men Cube

33. Human: buildings, money bill, Tools: hand (fist), foot, stone, gun, machine gun, cannon Cube Men Cube

34. 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 Humans and their lives are simplified and de-naturalized –just a group of signs forming some patterns; Humans with layers; Merging of humans and objects (e.g. tea box; camera eye; bird becoming one layer of a cube) Background music –light and beautiful, but can be militarist songs, too. Cube Men Cube: Interpretation

35. Form    an entity with interrelated parts. Structure: basic pattern From New Criticism to Structuralism: Search for “the common” or the universal Pygmalion And Galatea,by Jean-Leon Gerome, after 1881

36. From New Criticism to Structuralism Russian Formalism 1920’s  New Criticism: set up studies of English Literature as a discipline.  In the 50’s, there are more attempts at making English studies scientific and objective. e.g. archetypal approaches; Northrop Frye

37. 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 they imply).

38. 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. 