Welcome to Yikes' English Class
Todays discussion: subtext vs coding
Subtext is the implicit, unspoken underlying meaning, emotion, or thematic layer beneath a character's dialogue or actions. You have to read between the lines to pick up on it, it is a hidden or obscured meaning.
Coding is the specific, often stereotypical, traits used to imply a character belongs to a certain group (e.g., LGBTQ+) without explicitly stating it, often used to bypass censorship or appeal to specific audiences. It's a specific form of subtext. A character is "coded" when they display traits, mannerisms, or themes associated with a real-life group.
That being said: All coding is subtext, but not all subtext is coding. A scene can have romantic subtext without coding a character with specific tropes. Subtext is general; coding is specific, often to social groups.
When we discuss or create something, it's important we use the right words to describe what we mean. Is it sub-textually suggested? A symbolic representation of something? Is a character coded to be a certain group? Or is it all a metaphor for something else?
And furthermore, in analysis, was the meaning intended by the author? Was the coding subconscious? Was the subtext accidental? Is the metaphor the lens you are choosing to read it with for your analysis? This is all worth noting.