This image of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in a form of racial protest at the Olympics is a symbol. It is a symbol because the raised fist is an arbitrary association to black power and the Civil Rights movement but has no previous relation. This moment that is also captured in the picture is a symbol in itself because the Mexico City Olympics were in 1968. The picture signifies the progress of African Americans and showing support of the Civil rights movement on the world’s stage. The gesture in showing support caused a public outrage because African Americans were not well liked at the time.
This picture is an index because the numbers on the beaker signify the quantity of the liquid. In the video, “Semiotics: the study of signs”, it states an index has a causal link between the sign and the object. Thus the lines and their respective numbers are an index of how much of the liquid is in the beaker.
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February 3, 2010 at 9:22 pm |
For the picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos above most definitely is a symbol. The fist raising motion is directly linked with the civil rights movement in the 60s, and is quite arbitrary if you do not know anything about gestures in the American civil rights movement.
February 3, 2010 at 9:34 pm |
The photo of the beaker is an index. Like you stated, each number represents how much liquid is in the container. At the same time, the numbers could be a symbol (more specifically the units of the numbers, in this case milliliters) because metric units might be completely foreign to others. Then again, this might be a major stretch. Trying to think outside the box.
February 3, 2010 at 10:20 pm |
Interesting choices here! I really like your discussion of second sign! I wonder what other signs are functioning in first and second sign.
February 3, 2010 at 11:24 pm |
i agree that it is a symbol because he is trying to get a message across to who ever is watching. it definitely is not an index because it doesn’t give direction, but i could consider this an icon because it shows something direct in the world.
i would also agree that the beaker is an index because it shows measurement of the liquid in the beaker. it could also be a symbol of something that takes up volume or space.