Smiley Face - Barthes

What I took out of the two readings from this week is a different understanding of language. Language is taken for granted in the way that it is used to flippently, yet it is underestimated in its powers to communicate ideas through sound. CMC 100 had taught us about the different between signified and the signifier, yet this reading opened my mind to the way that language can be deconstructed to its basics of sound and ideas and applied it to our previous knowledge. The system of meaning behind understanding a word, when placed among other words, represents the culture in which language is being used, and the ideologies of society shape the way that the meaning of words change.

Now extending this reading of language to Barthes piece on 'The Pleasure of Text,' the readers approach to language in text has changed. There are those who 'skim-read' for the tmesis of the piece while others read a text word for word. Society has an emphasis on the need to not waste time, which has subsequently affected way that people now approach reading. There is the belief that quicker is better yet with reading let of the piece can be absorbed and understood. Another reason culture had encouraged the need to read faster is through the emphasis on sexuality in media, as confronted by Barthes in the opening of the reading when he described the 'appearance as disappearance' whereby people enjoy the idea the chase rather than the catch if you will. Furthermore, another way that culture has encouraged faster reading is through the technologies available to read on. We can even go as far back as monks who were the earlier version of photocopiers with calligraphy hand-writing, while today you can find sans serif fonts which are a lot easier to read.

Readers find themselves taking the values of words from their system of meaning, with reference to their culture, and applying it to the set of words before them placed together. The words representing ideas and meaning find themselves changing each time on readers them depending on the way it is read, but if culture continues to encourage the tmesis of a piece to be reached before the build up to it, when will there ever be appreciation for the pleasure of the text when it is found straight away. How can you enjoy the destination if you didn't go on the journey to get there?