Etymology of Codification
The term “codification” has its roots in the Latin word “codex,” which originally referred to a book or a document written on wooden tablets or scrolls. With time, “codex” evolved to mean a systematic and organized collection of laws or rules. In the context of law and governance, “codification” emerged to describe the process of systematically arranging and consolidating legal principles and regulations into a single, comprehensive legal code or document.
The process of codification in literary theory involves establishing rules, conventions, and categorizations to analyze and understand the structures and themes present in literature. This method helps scholars and critics examine and interpret literary works with a structured framework, providing a deeper understanding of the art and its underlying principles.
Meanings of Codification
| Meaning of Codification | Key Points |
| Legal Codification | – Systematic arrangement and consolidation of laws. |
| – Creation of comprehensive legal codes. | |
| – Structured framework for legal principles. | |
| Literary Theory | – Categorizing and classifying literary elements. |
| – Establishing rules for literature analysis. | |
| Linguistics | – Development of standardized written language. |
| – Creation of formalized language rules and symbols. | |
| Computer Programming | – Structured coding for software development. |
| – Translation of human-readable instructions to code. | |
| Music | – Notation of music for communication and analysis. |
| – Recording musical compositions in a standardized form. | |
| Social Sciences | – Systematic organization of research findings. |
| – Developing structured approaches to study social phenomena. | |
| Communication | – Simplifying complex information for clarity. |
| – Making information accessible to specific audiences. | |
| Cultural Studies | – Categorization and analysis of cultural elements. |
| – Development of frameworks for cultural studies. |
Definition of Codification as a Theoretical Term
Codification, as a theoretical term, refers to the systematic organization and structuring of complex concepts, principles, or data into a coherent and standardized framework. It involves the establishment of rules, categories, or codes to facilitate analysis, interpretation, or communication within a specific field of study or practice. Codification serves to simplify, clarify, and make information more accessible, enhancing the understanding and application of knowledge in the chosen domain.
Theorists, Works and Arguments about Codification
| Theorist | Work | Argument |
| Northrop Frye | Anatomy of Criticism (1957) | In Anatomy of Criticism, Frye offers a comprehensive framework for literary analysis by categorizing literature into various genres and identifying recurring mythic and thematic elements, effectively codifying literary genres and archetypal patterns. |
| Roland Barthes | Mythologies (1957) | In Mythologies, Barthes explores the codification of cultural symbols and signs, emphasizing how meaning is constructed through semiotic systems. He examines how cultural narratives are encoded in everyday objects and practices. |
| Tzvetan Todorov | Introduction to Poetics (1967) | In his work Introduction to Poetics, Todorov discusses the codification of literary genres and the rules governing them. He examines how genre conventions can both constrain and liberate literary creativity, highlighting the importance of understanding these codes. |
| Vladimir Propp | Morphology of the Folktale (1928) | In Morphology of the Folktale, Propp focuses on the codification of narrative structures in folktales, identifying recurring character types and functions. He proposes a structural analysis of storytelling that has significantly influenced the study of narrative in literature. |
| Claude Lévi-Strauss | The Structural Study of Myth (1955) | In The Structural Study of Myth, Lévi-Strauss explores the codification of mythic narratives and their underlying structures. He suggests that myths from different cultures share common structural patterns, revealing universal aspects of human thought and culture. |
| Julia Kristeva | Revolution in Poetic Language (1974) | In Revolution in Poetic Language, Kristeva discusses the codification of language and its role in literature. She introduces the idea of the “semiotic” and “symbolic” dimensions of language, emphasizing the importance of understanding how language is codified and subverted in literary texts. |
| Gérard Genette | Narrative Discourse (1972) | In Narrative Discourse, Genette explores the codification of narrative techniques and discourse in literature. He introduces concepts such as “narrative voice” and “narrative time,” providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing narrative strategies in fiction. |
Codification and Literary Theories
| Theory | Purpose of Codification | How It Is Used |
| Structuralism | The purpose of codification in structuralism is to analyze and uncover the underlying structures and systems present within literary texts. Structuralists aim to identify recurring patterns, codes, and rules that govern language and narrative in literature. | Structuralists use it to categorize elements such as plot structures, character archetypes, and linguistic patterns within texts, revealing the hidden structures that shape literary works. This helps in understanding how literature operates on a structural level. |
| Semiotics | Semiotics employs codification to examine the way signs and symbols are encoded within literary texts and how they convey meaning. The purpose is to understand how meaning is generated through the interpretation of these signs. | Codification in semiotics involves the identification and analysis of linguistic and visual signs, including language, imagery, symbolism, and metaphors. By decoding these signs, semioticians reveal the layers of meaning within texts, shedding light on the complexities of literary communication. |
| Genre Theory | The purpose of codification in genre theory is to categorize and classify literary works into specific genres based on recurring themes, styles, and conventions. This helps in organizing and understanding the diversity of literary texts. | Codification in genre theory relies on the recognition and codification of common elements and characteristics shared by texts within the same genre. It helps readers and scholars identify, label, and analyze literary works according to established genre conventions. |
| Narratology | Narratology employs codification to analyze and codify the various narrative elements within literary texts, including narrative techniques, point of view, narrative voice, and plot structures. The purpose is to study the storytelling aspects of literature. | Codification in narratology involves identifying and classifying narrative devices, such as analepsis (flashbacks) and prolepsis (flash-forwards), as well as narrative perspectives like first-person and third-person narration. This systematic approach allows scholars to explore storytelling techniques across different texts. |
| Archetypal Criticism | The purpose of codification in archetypal criticism is to identify and analyze recurring archetypes, symbols, and motifs in literature. It aims to uncover the universal and timeless themes encoded within literary works. | Codification in archetypal criticism involves recognizing and categorizing archetypal characters, symbols, and narrative motifs that appear across various cultures and time periods. By codifying these elements, scholars reveal the deep-seated archetypal structures that shape literary narratives. |
| Poststructuralism | In poststructuralism, codification serves the purpose of challenging or deconstructing codified meanings and conventions within literary texts. The goal is to question the stability of codes and explore how meaning can be fluid and subject to interpretation. | Codification in poststructuralism involves scrutinizing conventional interpretations and codified meanings within texts. Poststructuralist theorists, such as Jacques Derrida, employ deconstruction to reveal contradictions, ambiguities, and alternative interpretations, emphasizing the multiplicity of meaning. |
| Deconstruction | Deconstruction uses codification to reveal inherent contradictions and ambiguities in literary texts. The purpose is to dismantle and challenge the conventional codified meanings within literature, highlighting the complexity of language and representation. | Codification in deconstruction involves closely reading and analyzing texts to identify binary oppositions, hierarchies, and logocentric tendencies. By exposing the tensions and contradictions within codified structures, deconstructionists emphasize the indeterminacy and instability of meaning in literature. |
| Reader-Response Theory | The purpose of codification in reader-response theory is to consider how readers interpret and codify meaning in literary texts. The focus is on the role of readers in constructing meaning through their own codification based on personal experiences and cultural contexts. | Codification in reader-response theory emphasizes the diversity of reader interpretations. It involves studying how readers decode and encode meaning in texts, recognizing that readers bring their own experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs to the act of reading. This approach acknowledges the subjectivity of interpretation in literature. |
Codification as a Literary Device
Codification as a literary device refers to the intentional use of symbols, motifs, or recurring themes within a literary work to convey deeper, layered meanings or to create a sense of cohesion and structure. It involves the encoding of ideas or concepts into specific symbols or patterns that require interpretation by the reader, often adding richness and complexity to the text. This device can invite readers to engage in deeper analysis, uncover hidden messages, or appreciate the interconnectedness of elements within the narrative.
Codification in Literature
| Extract | Explanation |
| In To Kill a Mockingbird, the recurring symbol of the mockingbird represents innocence and moral purity. Atticus Finch’s advice to his children, Scout and Jem, exemplifies this codification: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” | In this extract, the mockingbird is codified as a symbol of innocence and goodness. This codification is used throughout the novel to represent characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who are unjustly harmed by society. The codification of the mockingbird reinforces the novel’s themes of prejudice and moral integrity. |
| In Moby-Dick, the white whale, Moby Dick, serves as a codified symbol of obsession and the unknowable forces of nature. Captain Ahab’s monomaniacal pursuit of the whale illustrates this codification: “To the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.” | The codification of Moby Dick as a symbol of Ahab’s obsession and the enigmatic power of nature is central to the novel’s exploration of human ambition and the consequences of unbridled pursuit. Ahab’s relentless quest to capture the whale underscores the destructive nature of unchecked obsession. |
| In The Great Gatsby, the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock is a codified symbol of Gatsby’s unattainable dreams. The novel describes it as follows: “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” | The codification of the green light represents Gatsby’s aspirations and desires, particularly his desire to recapture the past and be with Daisy. It symbolizes the elusive and unattainable nature of the American Dream, emphasizing themes of disillusionment and the passage of time. |
| In 1984, the act of “doublethink” is a codified concept that illustrates the manipulation of language and thought by the totalitarian regime. The protagonist, Winston, reflects on doublethink: “To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them.” | Codification of doublethink showcases the government’s control over truth and reality in the dystopian society of Oceania. This literary device highlights the manipulation of language and the suppression of dissenting thoughts, reinforcing the novel’s themes of totalitarianism and thought control. |
Suggested Readings
- Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Translated by Annette Lavers, Vintage, 1991.
- Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton University Press, 2000.
- Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cornell University Press, 1983.
- Kristeva, Julia. Revolution in Poetic Language. Translated by Margaret Waller, Columbia University Press, 1984.
- Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. Translated by Laurence Scott, University of Texas Press, 1968.
- Todorov, Tzvetan. Introduction to Poetics. Translated by Richard Howard, University of Minnesota Press, 1981.