Linguistics: a crash course in "wait, what?"

I have never ascribed so much meaning to the word "meaning."
Having just read some of Ferdinand de Saussure's "Course in General Linguistics" I can safely say I would be terrified to have that as an emphasis. I keep thinking if I stare long enough at the words, I can make them come alive for me, shape them into something that makes me have an "aha!" moment. Hasn't quite happened yet.


I love how Saussure compares language to chess- how each linguistic term "derives its value from its opposition to all the other terms," just as pieces on a chessboard become more valuable depending on where they are in relation to other pieces. Saussure asks you to understand that language is all about individual moments, with a set of conventions posed upon them that gives each moment context and meaning. Crazy stuff.


Also checked out Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex- lady makes some excellent points. From the beginning (at least as long as I can remember) we've viewed women differently and always, ALWAYS allowed them different rights than the rest of society. The examples cited in the work make perfect sense- woman has always been "The Other," even more so than Jews and African-Americans. There is talk of a vicious cycle that occurs when something is expected to keep happening because one allowed it to happen in the first place. As for me, I know there's still a glass ceiling; anyone who says there isn't would be lying to themselves. I feel like things are changing for the better, though. Better? Well. Things are different than they were fifty years ago, I can certainly say that.

at least there's slightly less of this happening

Been reading all kinds of things for my Critical Theories class as well. You ever hear of this guy Plato? Aristotle? I guess they knew what they were talking about. Thousands of years ago. My brain is full of philosophy and how it relates to writing and rhetoric. Hopefully there comes a point where I can actually sort this stuff out and apply it, not just talk briefly about it in class.

That's ultimately what I want: to be able to act for a living, and then have badass discussions of literature on the side. Or even during, wouldn't that be a trip?

Read: Aristotle's Poetics. Incredible how everything said about character, plot, and structure still mostly applies to movies today.

Listen: "The Hazards of Love" by the Decemberists. Now THERE is a band who understands language and how to wrangle it down and make it their own.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY incredible