Intersemiosis, Memory, and Re-Axiologization of the Sign. A Functional Comparison of the Prose of Andrzej Sapkowski, Serhiy Zhadan and Lada Luzina
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/Keywords:
intersemiosis, re-axiologization, resemantization, semiosphere, cultural memory, axiology, Andrzej Sapkowski, Serhiy Zhadan, Lada LuzinaAbstract
This article attempts a functional comparison of selected works by Andrzej Sapkowski, Serhiy Zhadan, and Lada Luzina from the perspectives of intersemiotics, the semiotics of culture, cultural memory theory, and axiology. The starting point is the distinction between the re-semantization of a sign and its re-axiologization. Re-axiologization presupposes the existence of a prior point of reference. If neither the sign’s previous function nor its earlier evaluative status can be reconstructed, it is difficult to speak of re-evaluation. The study therefore proceeds from the necessity of distinguishing between two processes: resemantization and re-axiologization. By resemantization, I understand a change in the meaning or semantic function of a sign; by re-axiologization, a change in its relational position within a specific order of values. This distinction gives rise to a fundamental question: can the recoding of a sign across different semiotic systems lead not only to a reorganization of meaning but also to a reorganization of value. The former denotes a change in meaning or semantic function, while the latter signifies a shift in the sign’s relational position within a specific order of values. The study posits that the transfer or interference of codes can lead not only to the generation of new meanings but also to a reconfiguration of how a sign is valued and its place within the semiosphere modeled by the text. The analytical material comprises selected short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, “Depeche Mode” by Serhiy Zhadan, and “Mykola Mokryj” by Lada Luzina. Genre heterogeneity serves as a variable allowing for the examination of three variants of a shared mechanism: problematizing, negotiating, and remythologizing-mnemonic re-axiologization. The proposed model does not claim the status of a new general theory of value; rather, it aims to operationalize re-axiologization as a potential outcome of cultural recoding and to link it with re-semantization, cultural memory, and the dynamics of the semiosphere.
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