Weaving the Voices of Pakistan: A Barthesian Semiotic Analysis of Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze Mohsin Hamid’s novel “Moth Smoke” by using semiotics theory of five codes which Ronald Barthes has proposed for textual analysis. By keeping in view, the Five Codes of Barthes’ Theory, the concealed meanings and voices are also interpreted. The qualitative descriptive method is used for textual analysis and quantitative method is used to make frequency list of cultural codes. This study is based on the textual analysis of the novel, “Moth Smoke” by Mohsin Hamid by using Ronald Barthes Narrative Model as analytical framework while Pierre Bourdieu Cultural Capital Theory is used as theoretical framework in order to find out Barthes’ codes in the text. By applying Barthes’ Narrative Model, the results of the current study show that this novel is consist of all the five codes such as the hermeneutic code, the proairetic code, the semantic code, the symbolic code and the cultural code which have enigmatic, suspensive elements, hidden meaning and voiced which needed to be interpreted for better understanding. The selected novel is full of enigmatic, suspensive elements, connotative meanings, binary oppositions and cultural references. Almost thirty-six cultural codes are found in the text. In short, the novel contains all the five codes.