ENGL 260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Jacques Derrida, Post-Structuralism, Of Grammatology
12 Jan 2015
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Reaction against new criticism, 1970s (approach to lit) Argument of structuralism is that we only understand these things in relation to one another- concept in contrast to other concept. Wanted to understand the way that languages work, structure of language. Langue: an overall system of language (example: rules of grammar) Parole: a specific instance of language (a poem, a single sentence) Playing chess, the rules of chess would be the langue, but any specific, given move in chess would be the parole. To de saussure, language is a system of signs. Each sign consists of a sound-image, which he calls the signifier and consists of a signified (concept that the signifier represents) Word tree signifier (sound image), represents a tree (signified) A specific tree would be a referent (if signifier is talking about specific) Signifiers recognized by their position of difference from other signified. We understand something by comparing it to other things.
