Rosabelle Meagan Saussure

A jolt in the brain, programming in motion, a blank stare as the windows of the soul closes, OR rebels back with it’s own insistently critical daring stare…

A blank stare, a look of hate in her eyes, never of love, never even spoken of, the closest was, “A child should know it is loved, it shouldn’t have to be told!” “It”, was confused because what was said, was not actually is, it did not exist, not even accepted through her discourse provided, for it conflicted with what was seen, felt, heard in and between the words she only chose to speak, the real experience was just on the other side of them. Understood! That within “it”-self is liberation! Ferdinand de Saussure, as a scientist would dissect a specimen, dissects the sectional interest of human societies through the use of language. After reading his theory of semiology, it is quite difficult to take what is heard, said, and especially read at just face value. Individual words are no longer simple composition of letters with rote definitions, instead they become little mini signs that convey intricate messages within its own context of construct. Saussure proposes that, “The characteristic roles of language with respect to thought is not to create a material phonic means for expressing ideas but to serve as a link between thought and sound, under conditions of necessity bring about the reciprocal delimitations of units” (5-6). Furthermore he explains, “The arbitrary nature of the signs explains in turn why the social fact alone can create a linguistic system”.

Toni Morrison’s Sula demonstrates how a town with its’ own linguistics in place can create a hierarchy for the citizens of the community with the use of one word, “Bottom”: “It stood in the hills above the valley town of Medallion…, but that part of town where the Negroes lived, the part they called the Bottom in spite of the fact that it was up in the hills” (3-4). The subjective production of meaning due to the usage of the word “Bottom” in the community of Medallion is, even though “the top of the hill” is at the highest point possible in town because of the natural physical geographical location; the social construct of reality is that it’s at the bottom since “negroes” live there.

Since language is the largest and most intricate verbal or written contract. The usage permits people to express innumerous amounts of thoughts and ideas that strongly influence and impact one another. Signs can permit society to pay attention to particular elements which portray partial bias images of people and their environment, instead of the actual existent of physical tangible human entities or the situation that is objectively occurring at hand. The study of semiology can obviously expand on understanding the operation of the written and spoken language amongst societies.