OK, so here’s the deal: Right now we are exploring this passage’s parenthetical clauses because I believe the parenthetical clause is symbolic of many of the themes Barthes brings up in his piece. They offer us epistemological and hermeneutical conundrums, questions, and issues. As you have already seen, “Q:” signifies “Question.” I do not use this signifier for every question I ask, nor do I mean to use it to simply denote a question. The color red and the symbol “Q” actually points to the huge, overarching “epistemological and hermeneutical conundrums, questions, and issues” to which I just alluded. They are texts we must “disentangle” (Barthes.)
You will also notice I, myself, use parenthetical clauses. There is a key—and what is this section if not a key!—difference between my parentheses and Barthes’s parentheses. I use parentheses purely for citation’s sake. When I see that one of my ideas stems from or connects to another author’s work, I cite him or her. Barthes, on the other hand, uses parentheses to disseminate meaning pertinent to the text at large. His parentheses are vital to his argument; they are a rhetorical device whereas mine are simply courteous and necessary.
Another symbol is the * which is used purely for annotation. You will follow the * or ** to another * or ** in order to connect writing to writing, thought to thought.
¡INTERJECTION! Is a moment of “Eureka!” I use this symbol to indicate a sweeping thought I had as author. They usually refer to topics of discussion I wish to further explore.
The most important symbol, finally is REMIX. REMIX are afterthoughts I had when I reread my writing. Rereading is vital to Barthes and to my thinking process. This blog is a testament to how I think. I think in circles, in association, in jumps. I am proud of it.
REMIX: We want to make sure that reading is not just silent passivity—like meaning represented in absence as we discussed earlier. Text is action ¡INTERJECTION! Remember in all those movies and cheesy books how people would differentiate between words and action? They would prioritize action over words, behavior over speech. Showing “I love you,” was better than saying “I love you.” Well, what happens now that text has become action? You can facebook message; you can even literally TEXT someone! This is an action now. This goes beyond the basic speech act; it is an act in itself. When I text a boy, “Hey what are you up to tonight?” I am exhibiting a behavior. I am performing a booty call. Digital media has transformed words into action.
Furthermore, if text is action, so too should reading. Reading is an action; you are creating a dialog, a text of your own. Thus, rereading is not mere repetition; it an action by which we negotiate our own texts, our own actions.
