DEFINITION

BARTHES’ ARGUES IN ‘S’/Z THAT EVERY NARRATIVE IS INTERURBAN WITH MULTIPLE

CODES

INTERTEXTUALITY – A REFERENCE TO ONE TEXT BY ANOTHER

ENIGMA CODE- A THEORY THAT SUGGESTS A TEXT PORTRAYS A MYSTERY TO DRAW AN

AUDIENCE IN, POSE QUESTIONS AND AS SUCH, BECOME INTRIGUED IN THE PIECE

BINARY OPPOSITION – THAT ALL NARRATIVES HAD TO BE DRIVEN FORWARD BY CONFLICT

THAT WAS CAUSE BY A SERIES OF OPPOSING FORCES

BARTHES’ ENIGMA CODE1. PROAIRETIC CODE (THE VOICE OF EMPIRICS): THE CODE OF ACTIONS. ANY ACTION INITIATED MUST BE COMPLETED.

THE CUMULATIVE ACTIONS CONSTITUTE THE PLOT EVENTS OF THE TEXT

2. HERMENEUTIC CODE (THE VOICE OF TRUTH): THE CODE OF ENIGMAS OR PUZZLES.

3. CONNOTATIVE (OR SEMIC) CODE (THE VOICE OF THE PERSON): ACCUMULATION OF CONNOTATIONS. SEMES,

SEQUENTIAL THOUGHTS, TRAITS AND ACTIONS CONSTITUTE CHARACTER. “THE PROPER NON SURROUNDED BY

CONNOTATIONS”

4. CULTURAL OR REFERENTIAL CODE (THE VOICE OF SCIENCE): THOUGH ALL CODES ARE CULTURAL WE RESERVE THIS

DESIGNATION FOR THE STOREHOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE WE USE IN INTERPRETING EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE

5. SYMBOLIC CODE (VOICE OF THE SYMBOL): BINARY OPPOSITIONS OR THEMES. THE INSCRIPTION INTO THE TEXT OF

THE ANTITHESIS CENTRAL TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CULTURAL CODE.

EXAMPLES OF BINARY OPPOSITIONLight dark

Right Wrong

Good evil

Strength weakness

Noise silence

Inside Outside

Youth Age

Poverty Wealth

Male female

Honest Deceitful

Human Alien

Sanity Insanity