Mikhail M. Bakhtin (1885-1975) developed his own semiotic theory of literature in this work, engaging with Russian and German aesthetics as well as Saussure's concept of language. This theory is illustrated through the works of François Rabelais. According to Bakhtin, understanding this classic of world literature requires a fundamental reformulation of literary aesthetic and cultural theoretical questions. What is the relationship of a literary work to its context? How does it relate to cultural and literary traditions? In the case of Rabelais, this means: In what way has popular laughter culture influenced his work?.