applying social semiotic analysis to a scene from sita sings the blues
DESCRIPTION
Taking the methodology from a chapter from the Handbook of Visual Analysis ("Visual Meaning: A Social Semiotic Analysis" by Carey Jewitt and Rumiko Oyama, 2001), this presentation examines the power dynamics in a particular scene from the animated movie Sita Sings the Blues (a retelling of the Ramayana).TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Symbolic/Compositional analysis and Rhetorical analysis: Relative proportion and the crown conveys Rama’s power; but frontal point of view and eye contact encourages us to identify with Sita
![Page 2: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Symbolic/compositional analysis and narrative analysis: relative proportion shows the power of both patriarchal figures; Rama’s transactive “pointing” action shows against whom that power will be directed
![Page 3: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Symbolic/Compositional analysis and Rhetorical analysis: Relative proportion and the crown conveys Rama’s power; but frontal point of view and eye contact encourages us to identify with Sita
![Page 4: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Symbolic/compositional analysis: Relative proportion of Sita’s shadow vs. the men’s shadows again shows how little power she has within this patriarchal household
![Page 5: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Narrative analysis: Attempt at transactive action, namely establishing eye-contact and bodily contact with Rama
![Page 6: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Narrative analysis: Rama’s action appears on the surface to be non-transactive, but given that it cuts off the tactile and eye contact she tried to establish, it’s emotionally transactive—he “freezes her out”
![Page 7: Applying Social Semiotic Analysis to a scene from Sita Sings the Blues](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062222/5695d3471a28ab9b029d5efb/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Symbolic/compositional analysis: the chromatic shift to what you’re calling Sita’s pale-blue/grey period conveys Rama’s ability to control the tone of their interactions