Roland Barthes — Questions and answers

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What did Roland Barthes help people understand about everyday things like a wrestling match or a magazine picture?

Choices

  1. They tell secret stories or 'myths' about our culture. ✓
  2. They are just simple objects with no deeper meaning.
  3. They are only important to adults, not children.
  4. They are always exactly what they seem to be.

Answer: They tell secret stories or 'myths' about our culture.

From page 1

What did Roland Barthes see in everyday things like ads for soap or pictures of movie stars?

Choices

  1. Just simple products for sale.
  2. Powerful 'signs' that show what society values and thinks is 'normal'. ✓
  3. Only fun pictures with no hidden meaning.
  4. Ways to trick people into buying things.

Answer: Powerful 'signs' that show what society values and thinks is 'normal'.

From page 2

What did Roland Barthes call the unspoken cultural messages found in advertisements?

Choices

  1. Hidden secrets
  2. Mythologies ✓
  3. Simple signs
  4. Good ideas

Answer: Mythologies

From page 3

What does 'The Death of the Author' mean about the meaning of a book or art?

Choices

  1. The author decides its final meaning forever.
  2. The meaning belongs to the readers and their own interpretations. ✓
  3. The book or art becomes less important after it's published.
  4. The author literally passes away after writing it.

Answer: The meaning belongs to the readers and their own interpretations.

From page 5

What does 'The Death of the Author' do for the audience?

Choices

  1. It limits their ability to understand a story.
  2. It makes reading and art less personal.
  3. It gives them the power to find their own meanings. ✓
  4. It means only the author's intended meaning is correct.

Answer: It gives them the power to find their own meanings.

From page 6

Why did some people find 'The Death of the Author' a bit scary?

Choices

  1. They thought it meant books would disappear.
  2. They worried that if the author's intention didn't matter, anything could mean anything. ✓
  3. They didn't like reading books by new authors.
  4. They believed it would make authors sad.

Answer: They worried that if the author's intention didn't matter, anything could mean anything.

From page 7

What 'myth' does the 'PowerCharge' energy drink ad create, according to Sami?

Choices

  1. That the drink is very tasty.
  2. That if you drink it, you'll be strong, successful, and always winning. ✓
  3. That the drink is only for athletes.
  4. That the drink will help you sleep better.

Answer: That if you drink it, you'll be strong, successful, and always winning.

From page 8

What did Roland Barthes teach Sami and Ingrid to 'read'?

Choices

  1. Only very old, dusty books.
  2. Just the prices of products.
  3. The world around them, not just books. ✓
  4. Only maps of the museum.

Answer: The world around them, not just books.

From page 9

According to Sami, what did Barthes teach them about the world's messages?

Choices

  1. He told them exactly what to believe.
  2. He showed them how to think about and analyze messages. ✓
  3. He said all messages are just facts.
  4. He only taught them about fashion.

Answer: He showed them how to think about and analyze messages.

From page 10