Semiotics: A Discussion Pt. 2

Even though Frankie wasn't wrong by his own standards of education and understanding, he was easily wrong if we match him up against all the implied codes and rules that any normally schooled person would know. So I guess to answer my own question of whether or not a child would be wrong if he was taught a totally different system of learning, my answer would have to be yes, and no. In the first reading for this class, it talked about how an individual can't make up their own thoughts or understandings and expect that the world around them would understand. That is the main reason why I would say no, but the reason I would say yes is because in Frankie's head, it made perfect sense.

We digress, to another thought coming from my fantastical brain. In our language, we take the signifier of the word cat and have an image of a cat (signified) in our minds. Also we turn that image of the cat into the signifier and think about things like warmth and fuzziness. I have always wondered that if people with different languages still have the same types of images, even thought their words are so different. Let's take the Spanish version of cat for example. When a mother says to a child: Donde esta el gato? (Which means where is the cat), what does the child think of when he hears the word gato? Would he simple follow the same rules that we follow with just a different signifier since the signified is still the same object? Or would he have a totally different picture in his head when he hears or sees the word gato. Maybe it is as simple as seeing a different type of cat, such as when I hear cat I think of a black cat, and when the little Hispanic boy hears gato he thinks of a calico cat.
I have to believe that if there is a difference, it is deeper than just the relativity of the type of cat. I think that if there is a difference, it is because of the enormous gaps between our cultures. American culture has a face, or a set of codes and rules and implied meanings, that is totally different from every other culture around the globe. This would provide a reasonable answer to the difference between the two signifieds. Maybe words meaning the same the things and only look differently, doesn't have much of an effect upon the signified its self. I am truly not smart enough to figure that out, but by any means if anyone who reads this could shine some light on either of my subjects, I am more than open to thoughts.

These things I have shared make my brain hurt, but I find them to be very interesting thoughts. I am excited that I am able to finally have something to structure these thoughts around. Hopefully as I continue to learn more and more about Semiotics, I will have a greater understanding for these and other concepts that come my way. I hope you were able to make at least a little sense out of all my hypothetical mumbo-jumbo! Enjoy!

~DeLiRi0uS~