This essay tries to apply the poststructuralist viewpoint onto Italo Calvino’s book "The complete cosmicomics".
According to Barry (2017), the poststructuralists look into paradoxes and uncertainties as they think that signs’ meanings depend on the perceiver, and different people would have different perceptions. There is no way to be certain whether an author is conveying the meanings as such, as language has its own limitation too, i.e. it is limited to the words that can be used in the language and the meaning can vary according to time and place, not to mention the perception of different people. A Sign in Space explores how signs can be unreliable and meaningless by constantly creating paradoxes: the ‘idea of sign making’ paradox, the omnipotence paradox and the ‘existence of space’ paradox. It also explores how our perceptions can be unreliable by looking into the narrator’s perception over Kgwgk’s sign erasure action.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The ‘idea of sign making’ paradox
3. The omnipotence paradox
4. The ‘existence of space’ paradox
5. Narrator’s fluctuating attitude towards the erased sign
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to apply a poststructuralist framework to Italo Calvino’s "A Sign in Space" in order to analyze how the text constructs meaning through the lens of uncertainty, paradox, and the instability of signs. The study explores how the narrator's shifting perceptions challenge the notion of objective truth and reveal the limitations of language and existence.
- Analysis of poststructuralist perspectives on signs and meaning.
- Examination of the 'idea of sign making' and omnipotence paradoxes.
- Investigation into the ontological uncertainty surrounding the existence of space.
- Exploration of the narrator's fluctuating attitudes toward sign creation and erasure.
- Critical reflection on the reliability of perception in an unstable universe.
Excerpt from the Book
The omnipotence paradox
The narrator seems to be an omnipotent creator in some circumstances and resembles a God. The narrator is the first one to make a sign in the universe, and when making that sign the narrator “didn’t have any examples to follow” (Calvino, 2014, p.61-63). However, in some cases, it shows that the narrator cannot control everything and is constantly in doubt. For example, he “couldn’t help thinking about when [he] would come back and encounter [the sign] again” (Calvino, 2014, p.63-64). Not only did he be unable to calculate the time he needed to see the sign again, but he even have troubles remembering the sign, as he described, “I mean if I tried to break it down into its various elements, I couldn’t remember whether, between one part and the other, it went like this or like that” (Calvino, 2014, p.64-66). Later, he deduced that there maybe another Godlike figure also doing galactic revolutions similar to the narrator, and he deduced that the figure Kgwgk may have erased his sign. The narrator’s omnipotence from this incidence onwards has nearly vanished, given that there may be another Godlike figure similar to the narrator, and that the narrator do not even know if the figure even really exist as this claim is only ‘deduced’ but not ‘proven’. It is uncertain that whether the narrator is a God or not, by being able to perform actions affecting the universe, but at the same time unsure about many things within the universe.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a theoretical foundation by introducing poststructuralist views on signs, paradoxes, and the subjective nature of perception.
The ‘idea of sign making’ paradox: Analyzes the logical contradiction where the narrator requires a sign to think, yet must think of the idea to create a sign in the first place.
The omnipotence paradox: Examines the narrator's loss of godlike status as he encounters uncertainty and doubt regarding his own creations and potential rivals.
The ‘existence of space’ paradox: Explores the ontological uncertainty presented in the story regarding whether space exists or is merely an illusion filled with signs.
Narrator’s fluctuating attitude towards the erased sign: Details the inconsistent emotional and intellectual reactions of the narrator to the erasure and reappearance of his signs.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis to conclude that the unreliability of signs and the fluidity of perception are fundamental to the narrative.
Keywords
Poststructuralism, Italo Calvino, A Sign in Space, Signs, Paradoxes, Omnipotence, Perception, Narrator, Erasure, Uncertainty, Ontology, Meaning, Language, Kgwgk, Cosmicomics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines Italo Calvino’s short story "A Sign in Space" through a poststructuralist critical lens, focusing on how the text highlights the inherent instability of signs and the ambiguity of meaning.
What are the primary themes explored in the text?
Key themes include the paradox of sign-making, the questioning of divine omnipotence, the ontological status of space, and the subjective, ever-changing nature of human perception.
What is the core research question addressed by the author?
The research explores how the text employs paradoxes to render signs unreliable and meaningless, questioning if an objective truth can ever be judged or attained.
Which theoretical framework is utilized for this analysis?
The paper adopts a poststructuralist approach, which posits that meanings are never fixed but depend on the perceiver and are limited by the structures of language and context.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body systematically analyzes three specific paradoxes—sign-making, omnipotence, and space—as well as the narrator's evolving psychological and emotional responses to the erasure of signs.
How are the results of the research summarized?
The study concludes that because we can never fully know the universe or the truth behind signs, our perceptions are destined to fluctuate as new information and revelations emerge.
What role does the figure 'Kgwgk' play in the narrative?
Kgwgk serves as a catalyst for the narrator's existential crisis, representing an external force that challenges the narrator's sense of ownership and authority over his signs.
Why does the narrator struggle with the memory of his own sign?
The narrator's struggle reflects the poststructuralist idea that memory and meaning are unstable; he cannot reconstruct the sign because he lacks the fixed reference points to categorize its elements definitively.
- Quote paper
- Kwan Lung Chan (Author), 2019, Applied Poststructuralism. Italo Calvino’s "A Sign in Space", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/934498
