Semiotics – Roland Barthes (Blog Post 6)

1. Identify at least one example of each of the following in the clip: sign, signifier, signified, denotative meaning, connotative meaning, code.

Sign: It is up to you to take control of your life after big events happen. 

Signifier: Cab dropping off harmonium, Car Crash, Office

Signified: Harmonium represents one having to put in effort in order to create. Name being similar to harmony. Harmonium is randomly dropped off as new opportunities are random. Car crash represents an uncontrolled sudden event that has big results. Office is bare to show main character is lonely. 

Denotative Meaning: A car crash suddenly happened, and a harmonium gets unexpectedly dropped off by a cab.

Connotative Meaning: The cab that dropped the harmonium and car are both an orange color representing a connection between both. Car crash are large events that have major impact and the harmonium being dropped afterwards is what his decisions will be with what is given to him, hopefully making his life better.

Code: Confusion on what main character should do next with his life. Main character's life is full of unexpectedness, random harmonium dropped and sudden car crash. Crash is a major event. Harmonium being dropped off is confusion and what his decision will be after the events.  

2. In a three-sentence paragraph, apply Semiotic theory to A) assert a meaning or purpose of the clip; B) provide specific evidence to support the meaning, and C) clearly connect evidence with your assertion.

The purpose of the clip was to visualize and begin the main character's constant dilemma at the start to foreshadow what his struggles will be throughout the movie and how he reacts. The movie creates a setting that has no people besides the main character ties two seemingly random events of a car crash and a harmonium being dropped off to represent a large event taking place and an aftermath that may seem unrelated. The main character is put into a position where he alone watches the crash and sees the harmonium being dropped off and it is up to him to do what he wants with the harmonium, take it or leave it, to represent that after big events happen in the story it is entirely up to the main character to do something in order to move forward even if the events don't seem to make sense.