Ashley Goldstein
Developing a Concept
November 16, 2008
When discussing discourse it is significant to know that discourse is a way
of thinking. This way of thinking is used by a system of signs that conveys messages.
Signs are words or images that produce a mental representation. A mental representation
is when what is actually present (the word or image) gets re/present, like a thought of
someone. A sign represents an object (something in the material world) then stands in for
that object when it re-presents itself in the consciousness (the thought); creating a mental
representation. Much like that of yourself, when you look in the mirror. Signs function
as a mental representation of everything you think. Saussure explains it in two different
elements that there is, “the form (the actual word, image, photo, etc.), and there was the
idea or concept in your head with which the form was associated.” (31)
If you were to close your eyes and think of yourself, that would be a mental
representation. You then attribute signs to that mental representation of yourself which in
turn makes that image seem like the “real” you. This would be your memory presenting
signs to you, not your actual events self. Associating the thoughts of ugliness or
prettiness to that mental representation would be determined by what discourse has taught
you. Another instance of following discourse through signs would be if you were to see
a traffic light (the image). Through mental representation if you were to see red on the
traffic light you would know to stop. Our culture through discourse tells us that red
means stops, yellow means slow and green means go. Our culture also created the
conceptual color system in by which we abide BY. Other cultures, like people living in
France might not associate those three colors with the meaning we give it. France
doesn’t even have the word “red” they use “rouge.” This process of the stop light,
“correlates certain words (signs) with certain colours (concepts), and thus enables us to
communicate about colours to other people…” (26) One that would stop at the red light
would think it was a “natural fact” to do so, but this “natural fact” is set in place
according to the discourse we follow. According to Stuart Hall, “Red and Green work in
the language of traffic lights because ‘Stop’ and ‘Go’ are the meanings which have been
assigned to them in our culture by the code of conventions governing this language, and
this code is widely known and almost universally obeyed in our culture and cultures like
ours—though we can well imagine other cultures which did not possess the code, in
which this language would be a complete mystery.” (26)
Representation re-presents something that is already there. Representatives stand
in for us, represent us. What’s represent gets re/presented. This process takes place in
consciousness because that is where images come from. Your consciousness is
structured by signs; thoughts, words, images; these words and images are the field of
representation. According to The Work Of Representation, “representation is an essential
part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a
culture.” (15) Any image or thought you have is a thought within itself but, the power is
to understand the thought is a certain way of thinking which brings us back to discourse.
Ashley, 90 for intelligent rendering of ideas and 78 for significant grammar issues
and other points I called attention to in my comments: grade = 84