Super!Geek- Barthes Cont'd 1/22

The exercise in Thursday's class was truly intriguing. It is no secret that we all perceive and interpret information differently, but to actually hear the varying interpretations of something as simple as ‘baby shoes for sale; never worn’, was actually surprising. While some people gave similar answers, with assumptions of a baby lost or some other tragic tale, others offered fairly entertaining counter-hegemonic interpretations as well. The exercise demonstrated how different ways of processing information could affect the reading of a statement as well. Some had problems taking the statement at more than face value and took the statement as straight-forward and literal. Others, like myself, found their imaginations running wild over the few words. By a certain point, people had concocted into short stories, films, and articles surrounding the statement. This really helped to drive home the idea of tmesis and what can be said and read in between each word.
Tmesis appears like a concept that could really define the rest of the semester for me. I am always a fan of counter-hegemonic readings, and the concept of tmesis can be important in defining the relevance or value of a statement or interpretation of the text that might not be seen by others. Barthes believed that the reader or critic took away something different and new from each reading of the text. Even after your reading, you stay in a constant process of reinterpreting and evaluating the text. How we interpret the text can also vary greatly based on where we are and who we are surrounded by at the time. I feel like in college, my opinions on matters change with every new author or text I analyze. It is a constant reformation of my mind and perception of the world. And while there are constants in some areas, the very act of understanding the juxtaposing view evolves each constant, making more refined and easier to articulate. Tmesis seems to be the very foundation of our present society, where nothing is straight-forward or clear cut. It’s all up for interpretation.