The main text for class is the Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, which has the kind of tiny, hard-to-read type that suggests graduate degrees should only be pursued by people under 40. After reading the assignment in Norton, the thing I'll guess on Jeopardy about Saussure is that there is the idea of the sign, signified, and signifier.
I'm sure this is wrong on so many levels, but I think it's like me saying, since I'm a spinster, it would be nice to have a small, furry thing to love. The sign and signifier are the letters that make up the name we have for that small, furry thing: CAT. The small, furry thing itself (in my case, her name is Fran) and all the love, petting, purring, and litter box cleaning that fill my empty days is the signified. (This is hella convoluted. For a better example go here)
Saussure also says signs are arbitrary because if I were in Spain, I'd be calling Fran el gato. I just happen to live in Cleveland where small, furry things taken care of by lonely, older women are called cats. If you had a naughty thought about lonely, older women's small, furry things, that's okay! You just made a postmodern critique of Saussure's theory which argues Saussure leaves out the small linguistic differences that take into consideration 21st century slang and gender politics and so on.
Like I said, I could be seven different kinds of wrong about this and I'm foolish enough to publish it on the internets. If you know more, tell me.
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