Literary Theory 2021 – Test

Session Miss Jonathan Irene

Directions:
1. Answer the following questions in your own words except for the theoretical terms.
Write source in a proper format, and make List of References in the end of your
work.
2. Do not copy paste. Try to paraphrase the idea to your own sentences.
3. Save file with format : LIT THEORY-2019(A/B/C/D)- NIM-Name
4. Final date of submission and G-drive link will be inform in each class WAG.

Questions:
Structuralism
1. Mention and give brief explanation on Four Saussure’s Dichotomies!
- Signifier/Signified
One of four concepts introducted by Saussure is Sign. It has two aspects, Signifier and
Signified. The first refers to a form or acoustic image or we can say a sound side. The
second refers to an idea or a concept or we can say a meaning side. An arbitrary
relationship between signifier and signified also means there’s no definite and universal
concept. As example, there’s a picture of a cat on the wall. In a sound side, it’s just a bunch
of ink that forms a cat. But, in the meaning side, the picture refers to a cute sleeping cat.

- Langue/Parole
Second is Langue/Parole. Langue is an abstract rules that constitutes a language system.
These rules is understood by language users unconsciously. These rules govern how a good
society can be created through behavior, attitudes, and community activities. Nobody know
exactly when the rules applies, but the rules is accepted and and trusted by society. In the
other hand, Parole is the uniqueness of an individual in speaking. Which is, even though the
language is the same, each individiual has a different way of pronouncing it. As example,
individuals in Indonesia share one national language, but they have a particular accent
according to their region.
- Synchronic/Diachronic
There are two ways seeing languange from two dissimilar views according to Saussure.
Which he called synchronic and diachronic. Synchronic is a language approach to language
studies that investigates the state of language at a specific period of time. In order to study
this, linguists would collect a sample of the language within a period, describing it without
considering any historical factors that might have influenced the state of the language up to
that time. Then, diachronic is a language approach to study the development of a language
through time or the history of language. Diachronic is focussing on language change in
pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
 - Syntagmatic/Paradigmatic
The paradigmatic relationship is the relationship between language elements in speech and
is vertical. Paradigmatic relationships occur by comparing elements of language that are in
the same position. The syntagmatic relationship is the relationship between language
elements in speech and is linear. Syntax relations occur with the analysis of language
elements in one speech without any comparison with other speeches.

2. Explain the main ideas of each Structuralist bellow:

a. Claude Levi-Strauss
His structuralist idea is more paradigmatic. He tries to uncover a narrative’s underlying
pattern, regardless of the linear, superficial syntagm and his structure is usually rendered
as a binary oppositional structure. Binary opposites, which most of narratives in media
form such as book and film contain opposite main character. For example, in superhero
movie this could be good vs. evil, or in horror movie this could be human vs. supernatural.
b. Vladimir Propp
Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions
and actions of characters and how they function in a story. There are 31 functions that he
got after analyzing 100 folk tales from the corpus of Alexander Fyodorovich Afanasyev
which underlies his structuralist ideas. He identifies these 31 functions as characteristic of
all fairy tales in Russian folklore. This type of structural analysis of folklore is reffered to
syntagmatic.

Semiotics
3. Explain the main ideas of each Semiotic theorist below:
a. Charles Sander Pierce
His sign theory or semiotic idea is an account of signification, representation, reference,
and meaning. His basic sign structure consist of sign, object, and interpretant. The critical
point of his idea is that the meaning of a sign is created by the interpretation it stimulates
in those using it. The element of interpretation in his ideas also emphasized his claims that
semiotic is a process.
 b. Roland Barthes
His semiotic idea broke down the process of reading signs and focused on their
interpretation by different cultures or societies. According to him, signs had both a signifier
being the physical form of the sign as we feel it through our senses and the signified,
meaning of that sign. This idea also underlies his ‘process of myth’.

4. Give your example of Roland Barthes process of Myth meaning using a table like
below:

1. Signifier : Black Cat

2. Signified : Black Cat (Picture)
3. Sign : Black Cat

I. Signifier : Black Cat

II. Signified : Bad Luck
III. Sign : Myth of black cat is bad luck
This ‘Roland Barthes process of Myth’ means that myth helps to naturalize particular
worldviews. Myth is based on human history and myth cannot naturally occur. There are
always some communicative intentions in myth. In this case, black cat refers to a sign of
bad luck.

Stylistics
5. Explain the Pluralist’s view on Style and Literature!
According to pluralist, languange performs a number of different functions and any piece of
language is likely to be the result of choices made on different functional level. These
functions may be referential, directive, and social. This is third approach to Style.

6. What is Foregrounding in Stylistics?

In Stylistics, Foregrounding is a linguistic strategy for drawing attention to certain feature
of language in order to shift the reader’s attention from what it said to how it said.

7. Why is Stylistic important to approach literary work?

Because, Stylistics plays a key role in understanding and interpreting literature. Literature
is a creative work of art through media which has two main functions. First conveying
ideas, theories, emotions, mindset, and the experience of human beauty. Second, it
accomodates all of it. In order to make the those functions work, Stylistics take the key role
to deliver all of those functions with beautiful delivery style, attractive and alluring.

Intertextuality:
8. Explain Julia Kristeva’s concept of Intertextuality!
Intertextuality is text’s relation with other text. The concept is crossing from one sign
system to another. Which means, like other signs, each text refers to other texts. In other
words, the concept can be formulated simply as a relationship between a particular text
and other text.

9. Explain and give each one example for three types of Intertextuality!
- Obligatory
Obligatory Intertextuality is when the author deliberately uses comparisons or associations
between two or more texts. For example, according to Maria Mitchell’s analysis on Tom
Stoppard’s ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. It is in
Hamlet where we first meet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and as the plot of Rosencrantz
and Guildenstren are Dead unravels, specific scenes from Hamlet are actually performed
and viewed from a different perspective. This understanding of the hypotext Hamlet, gives
deeper meaning to the pretext as many of the implicit themes from Rosencrantz and
Guildenstren are more recognizable.
- Optional
Optional Intertextuality is when the author want to pay tribute to the original author or to
reward those who have read hypotext. Which means, that is possible to find connections to
multiple texts of a single phrase, or no connection at all. As example, Stan Lee’s Iron Man
shares many similarities with Bob Kane’s Batman. They both do not have any superpower,
instead they only use their wealth and intelligence. They also have the same past, their
parents were both killed villain.
- Accidental
Accidental Intertextuality is when the readers often associate a text with others texts,
personal experience or other sources, without any real link points within the original text.
As example, when reading Herman Melville’s ‘Moby Dick’, a reader may use his or her prior
experiences to make a connection between the size of the whale and the size of the ship.

10. In one good paragraph, explain how you have experienced the intertextuality when
reading a work of literature!
Actually, when reading literature, I don’t really pay attention to it. But, intertextuality is
felt when I read a literary work, especially optional intertextuality. When I read J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter, there are some things that I think are similar to J.R.R. Tolkien’s
Lord of The Rings. They both have the mentor of an old wizard, both also have magician
enemies with extraordinary strength.

*Note : I don’t really sure about number 5 & 6, u should check that out. And i think
number 10 would be better if u use your own opinion. 
References

- https://cte.univ-setif2.dz/moodle/mod/book/view.php?
id=16597&chapterid=4193
- https://cte.univ-setif2.dz/moodle/mod/book/view.php?
id=16597&chapterid=4195
- https://www.linguistikid.com/2017/01/the-saussurean-dichotomies.html
- https://www.kenapasejarah.id/2019/02/linguistik-saussure-langage-
langue.html
- http://repo.isi-dps.ac.id/1690/
- https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/75171-ID-pendekatan-
sintagmatik-dan-paradigmatik.pdf
- https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kajian_Linguistik_Ferdinand_de_Saussure
- https://ejournal.uksw.edu/cakrawala/article/view/43
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- https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/8161/A-Level/Media-Studies/What-is-
Levi-Strauss-Theory-of-Binary-Opposites/
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%20literary%20studies%20and%20stylistics,to%20how%20it%20is%20said.
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ilmu-lain.html#:~:text=Stilistika%20sangat%20erat%20kaitannya%20dengan
%20estetika.&text=Stilistika%20mengkaji%20berbagai%20fenomena
%20kebahasaan,aspek%20yang%20berhubungan%20dengan%20keindahan.
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- https://www.greelane.com/id/sastra/inggris/what-is-intertextuality-1691077
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