Binary Opposition

This is where media texts are organised around sets of opposite values. For example, Light/Dark and  Hot/Cold.

The question is: How can you understand something unless you know the opposite meaning?

We wouldn't know the meaning of hot without knowing the meaning of cold. Words only act as symbols and the meaning of words, is a relationship, not a fixed thing


For homework, I watched the little mermaid to find some binary opposites and here is what I came up with:
-Male/Female
-Land/Sea
-Love/Hate
-Mythical/Realistic
-Good/Evil
-Happy/Sad

Explanation of some of the binary oppositions I chose-

Love/Hate:
This is shown in the film when the prince and the mermaid fall in love, and the rivalry between the bad mermaid ursula and the other characters show the hatred.

Mythical/Realistic:
The mermaids and mermen are mythical and the prince and the human beings on land are real.

Good/Evil:
The good is shown throughout with Ariel, her father and the humans on land, and the evil is shown throughout by the bad mermaid Ursula. 



 


20.09.2012

Claude Levi Strauss and Roland B