Question

We have already discussed, with reference to Roland Barthes, how a sign can have multiple layers of signification (or it can have different connotations). For instance, a sign is constituted by the inseparable union of a signifier (the speech sounds or written marks composing the sign) and signified (the conceptual meaning of the sign). The signifier, or conceptual meaning, could vary depending on a number of different determining factors (such as historical context; on social status; on the reader’s or viewer’s personal experience, etc).

What I’m trying to get at is this: as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter progresses, the meaning of the letter – the meaning of the piece of fabric stitched to Hester’s dress – goes through quite significant changes. Let’s say it was meant to signify “adulteress,” at first, and its purpose was to make its bearer feel shame. But what it was at the beginning is no longer what it is at the end of the novel. The scarlet letter no longer signifies anything in the literal sense and becomes something wholly symbolic. But symbolic of what?

Instructions:

So what I would like you to do is briefly explain all the changes of meaning – of signification – that the letter goes through. Trace all these layers of meaning as concisely as you can and please refer to particular page numbers (preferably with brief quotes) when providing evidence. Try to limit yourself to around 350 words but you may go beyond 350 if you need more space. I’m not looking for a formal essay but I am looking for a narrative that is strung together with sense and organization.

Answer 1

Answer- Signification refers to the representation of conveying a message or information which is exactly what letters are designed for. A letter usually goes through an introductory phase with the main content following right after. The last phase or the last layer of a letter is the concluding paragraph which supports the content of the letter. All these phases can also be termed as the layers of the letter.