Semiotic Analysis of Television Show Dexter - 1494 Words

Semiotic Analysis of Television Show Dexter Semiotics is the study of meaning. There are many aspects that go into developing a semiotic analysis. They include signs, a signifier and signified, codes, opposition, code confusion, intertexuality, paradigms, and syntagyms. Before delving into the analysis, the meaning of each of these terms and their relation to semiotics must be made clear. A sign could be anything that stands for something else. A signifier is the physical object that represents something else, while the signified is the image the object relays. Codes are a set of rules that govern everything. Opposition, or binary opposition, which is used in this analysis, is when two things or people are used as opposites†¦show more content†¦Eventually after a few sessions and some snooping around, Dexter learns that Emmet counseled those three women and many others into committing suicide. This discovery led Dexter to murder the psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are often referred to as shrinks. The title Shr ink Wrap was a sign and form of foreshadowing of Dexters next murder victim. Like all his victims Dexter wrapped Emmet down to a table, which this time was in Emmets own office, and covered the room with shrinkwrap which is used to prevent dust or in this case blood from spattering onto the floor or couches. Then he took a blood sample to save for his file and proceeded to murder Emmet in the very place he counseled others into returning home and killing themselves. Codes are another important aspect of this semiotic analysis. The main set of codes this episode deals with is between good and evil. These codes can also be viewed at times as paradigms because of the way the codes are setup. The idea of good versus evil is apparent in the battle Dexter wages against serial killers. Dexter sets out to kill those, such as the therapist, who are taking advantage of others, or who have actually murdered others as in previous episodes. This raises the question, might Dexter actually be a good person? Although he may only be murdering those who deserve it, he is still committing one of the most gruesome crimes possible with no remorse. Dexter even describesShow MoreRelatedBeyond Visual Metaphor. a New Typology of Visual Rhetoric in Advertising9528 Words   |  39 Pagessuch consumer responses as elaboration and belief change. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of marrying textual analysis, as found in literary, semiotic and rhetorical disciplines, with the experimental methodology characteristic of social and cognitive psychology. Key Words advertising figurative speech image metaphor picture rhetoric semiotics typology †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Introduction A distinctive feature of advertising, relative to other contemporary forms of human communicationRead MoreUGT in the 21st Century14999 Words   |  60 Pagescommunication has revived the significance of uses and gratifications. In fact, uses and gratifications has always provided a cutting-edge theoretical approach in the initial stages of each new mass communications medium: newspapers, radio and television, and now the Internet. Although scientists are likely to continue using traditional tools and typologies to answer questions about media use, we must also be prepared to expand our current theoretical models of uses and gratifications. Contemporary