SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

(Akhtar Iqbal)

The picture is showing two phases and realities of life, in other words extremes
of life. A child and an old woman are standing with some supporting props
(walker) in a garden. Semiotically, we can analyse the picture on different
levels:

According to Ferdinand De Saussure’s dyadic model of Semiology, the sign

vehicle of supporting props has dyadic representation of visual signifier; the
walkers and their signified; a supporting tool for toddlers to walk easily. The
signifier, white hair of the woman is signified of her age.

According to Charles Sanders Peirce, the image is representing all the three
types of the image:

Iconic:

The image is iconic as imitation of the scene and characters involved.

Symbolic:

There are many symbolic connotations found in this picture in which settings,
costumes, props, makeup, location, nature of the movement, background,
colours and objects are also involved. For Example:

Colours, Style and Design: The simple clothing style, the fade colours of the
clothes, the simple designed walker and even the hair colour symbolized that
the old lady and the persons of this age don’t take interest in colourful life and
its luxuries. On the other hand, the child’s clothes, style, designed and colours
of props show his bright and determined nature.

Movement and Angle: The opposite angle of watching towards one another
symbolizes that the old lady has experienced the matters of her whole life and
having a critical view of the child or his nature etcetera with a broader
perspective. The child watching upward reveals that he is ambitious towards
life, determining something big and somehow feeling threatened of the people
holding the place earlier before.

The child is going from right to left towards the colourless objects can be taken
as, he is going to face the harsh realities and difficulties in his life and the old
lady is going from left to right seems as after accepting the same she is getting
calm now.

Background: there is darkness behind the head of the child can be assumed as
knowing nothing about life as he is blank. Green trees/leaves behind the head of
the lady can be considered as the treasure of information, experience and all she
faced in her life.

The broken window in between the both of the watchers on one hand is iconic
and on the other symbolically can be taken as generation gap. The both are
concerned and have to be in contact with on another but it is hard to find unity
in their point of views therefore the bars and the paper are some moral or ethical
manner, trying to keep them in touch/joined. Thirdly the broken window is
indexical as well indicating that there would have been something happened
with it; the cause of its breaking.

The material on the back of the old lady is a basket and a colourless old wooden
quarter (probably) indicates that most of her life has been spent and many of the
things used / happened are useless now.

The image was taken in natural setting, showing that it is a natural process that
everybody has to deal with the same phases of life. No one can avoid or get rid
of it either being male/female or younger/older.

Denotation/Connotation and Synecdoche:

The denotational meaning can be taken just as two persons of different age and
sex are standing in a garden looking towards one another but the connotational
meaning and synecdoche is, the picture as a whole symbolized the whole life,
its human being and the functionality of physical and mental strength which
starts from “a walker” to “the walker”.

(Akhtar Iqbal)