Preliminary Exercise 1: Barthes' Theory of Denotative and Connotative Signs Semiotic Analysis Table

 The objective key concept of the lesson is to understand the concept of semiotics. Semiotics are the study of signs and symbols and their use of interpretations. Roland Barthes was a French essayist, social and literary critic, philosopher, theorist, and semiotician. Roland Barthes' theory was anything part of a culture can be a sign that sends a specific message. For example, an object will have two types of signs, denotations and connotations. Denotations are the literal meaning of a symbol, while connotations are the different meanings that are associated with the symbol. For example, the denotation of a dog is an animal with fur, four legs, and a tail. The connotations consisted with a dog are loyalty and devotion, protection, joy, family, etc.

The objective of the task was to understand the concept of semiotics by choosing 3 out of 6 pictures, a cat, rose, broken shoes, an eagle, a tree, and a car, to draw and give their denotations and connotations. As well as the definitions of signs, denotations, and connotations. Two students completed this task 1 being me. In this exercise I learned that practically anything can have a denotation and connotations.