With speaker and listener separated by an interpretive gulf, there is no escaping the inherent ambiguity in language. An intended meaning may be conjured by the speaker in light of how he or she assumes the audience will understand it, but actual meaning is ultimately defined by the hegemonic power of the audience’s worldview. There is no way to deny these influences or meld them seamlessly. Once you speak or write, it is the audience who decide your meaning.
