Penny Lane- DeSaussure Late

In our reading by DeSaussure, he emphasized that language is arbitrary. Sounds that designate meaning are culturally assigned. In order to make an observation, one must use comparison to separate it as an independently differentiated notion from another. “In language, there are only differences.” You cannot understand the concept of please without experiencing pain. DeSaussure’s statement is similar to the message of the ying-yang. Positive defines negative and vice versa. In contemporary culture we often utilize the concept of branding to prescribe difference to identical objects. Under this construction, variation is conceptual not meta-physical. Creating divergence is an industry in and of itself. Without advertising and logos, objects would only be worth their utility. Why does Chanel make-up evoke a reaction distinct from the generic? The answer is found in the signifier and the signified. Simple objects can denotes luxury or quality without any real justification for its understood value. Macherey often discusses the notion of varying interpretation between every individual. The meaning of a text to the Author is entirely separate from that of his/her readers. Understanding is based on perspective, which is vastly dependent on life experience. Differences in people, much like language and commodities, generate meaning through contrast.