Barthes Theory

Barthes says that text may be ‘open’ or ‘closed’.

- The Hermeneutic Code (HER) (the voice of the truth) is the way the story avoids telling the truth or revealing all the facts, in order to drop clues in through out to help create mystery.

- The Enigma/ Proairetic Code (ACT) (empirical voice) the way the tension is built up and the audience is left guessing what happens next

- The Semantic Code (SEM) (the voice of the person) the semantic code points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation, which the story suggests. Connotation= cultural/underlining meaning, what it symbolises.

- The Symbolic Code (SYM) (the voice of symbols) this is very similar to the Semantic Code, but acts at a wider level, organizing semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning. This is typically done in the use of antithesis, where new meaning arises out of opposing and conflict ideas.

- The Cultural Code (REF) (the voice of science) looks at the audience’s wider cultural knowledge, morality and ideology.

TASK 1

Watch the Ed Sheeran video, A Team, and apply 5 Barthes codes.

Hermeneutic Code: the voice of the truth is Ed Sheeran singing. Although he doesn’t openly say all the things wrong with the girl and what she’s going through he subtly drops hints and describes the actions in a mysterious manner. This means he says what she’s going through without directly saying she’s broke, addicted to drugs and participates in prostitution.

The Enigma/Proairetic Code: This is done through the video, you follow her as her life falls into decay and although it’s dark and mysterious you are filled with the hope of that it will get better towards the end even if it’s obvious it will not. It’s also done through the singing, you notice the tempo and descriptions start becoming more solid and are filled with some sign of mourning for the character.

The Semantic Code: Again, this is the description of the girl as told by Ed Sheeran. How he describes how the girl ‘in a pipe flies to the motherland’ which means she uses drugs to be able to sell love to men. It’s not directly said and needs a deeper reading to realise it’s what she’s saying. He says that she’s been trapped within her dreams and it’s killed her aspirations for her future.

The Symbolic Code: This is shown by the word uses of the likes of ‘fly’, ‘in a pipe’, ‘go mad for a couple grams’ and has more meanings that what it’s actually said. It shows her desperation for drugs, money and a new life.

The Cultural Code: Overall, this is the meaning of the song and video towards the audience. How they can adjust their view on it and put it how they want to view it.  This is done by the video being in black and white, this could represent the past. This also links that at the start of the video you see the end of the video fade out of her on the floor, this is the very end scene. Then the black and white represents her look back on her life and how hard she had it. The morality of the song references modern life, that this sort of story isn’t rare in our civilization. Another ideology for the video is the characters appearance, how she is dressed in rags and has ripped clothing. This represents her homelessness and how she can’t afford to have it better off. Also her droopy facial appearance and expressions, it shows a high drug use, which in reference, is noted within the song.