Introductions: Theory: Examples: Summaries: Applicaitons: Process:
Denotation is the specific, literal image, idea, concept, or object that a sign refers to.
Connotation is the figurative cultural assumptions that the image implies or suggests. It involves emotional overtones, subjective interpretation, socio-cultural values, and ideological assumptions.
Examples:
Stop Sign
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Denotation—Stop (even without words, we recognize the meaning from the shape and color)
Connotation—Risk (accident or ticket)
Health club ad
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Denotation—fit person in foreground --> you could look like this
Connotation—fit person in background --> you could pick up a date like this in our club
| example | denotation | connotation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archie Bunker | character of the 70s sitcom | bigot, racist, conservatism gone awry, working class, uneducated, unsophisticated |
|
| Willie Horton | A convicted rapist who was let out and raped again | When republicans ran adds with his photo it denoted the democratic governors weakness against crime, but it connoted racial hatred and fear of blacks, stereotyping them as criminals. (SOL, 2nd 7) |
|
Words also carry different connotations: strikes vs. disputes, union demands vs. management offers.
Denotation and Connotation are not two separate things/signs. They are two aspects/elements of a sign. All signs carry each function.
Each function is also connected to cultural forces. Denotation has no natural connection to the thing it signifies. It too is cultrually and histroically created.