From Iconic to Symbolic. Strategies for the Construction of Meaning

We discuss here, by means of the analysis of a textual object, the concessive construction of tension arising from subtle elements and minimal variations. We thus show how different and counterintuitive discursive configurations may lead to the creation of impact. The context of an applied study will allow us to show the productiveness of using tensive categories to the analyses of both expression and content, as well as the gain of studying each plane separately so they can be contrasted afterwards. In order to reach these two objectives, we will initially analyze the path from iconic to symbolic in the verbal, sound and visual aspects. This will lead us to discuss the passage from the state of not knowing to that of knowing on the enunciation plane. Finally, we will deal with the role of figurativity in the construction of narrative elements as well as the apprehension of values. In presenting a strategy for the construction of impact in the text and a way to conjugate the analyses of the expression and the content planes, this article aims at the creation of a more explicit path to the incorporation of tensive categories into practical applications of the theory.