1st Edition
An Introduction to Applied Semiotics Tools for Text and Image Analysis
An Introduction to Applied Semiotics presents nineteen semiotics tools for text and image analysis. Covering a variety of different schools and approaches, together with the author’s own original approach, this is a full and synthetic introduction to semiotics. This book presents general tools that can be used with any semiotic product. Drawing on the work of Fontanille, Genette, Greimas, Hébert, Jakobson, Peirce, Rastier and Zilberberg, the tools deal with the analysis of themes and action, true and false, positive and negative, rhythm narration and other elements.
The application of each tool is illustrated with analyses of a wide range of texts and images, from well-known or distinctive literary texts, philosophical or religious texts or images, paintings, advertising and everyday signs and symbols. Each chapter has the same structure – summary, theory and application, making it ideal for course use.
Covering both visual and textual objects, this is a key text for all courses in semiotics and textual analysis within linguistics, communication studies, literary theory, design, marketing and related areas.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, DIAGRAMS AND TABLES
SYMBOLS
INTRODUCTION
1. STRUCTURAL RELATIONS: HOMOLOGATION
2. OPERATIONS OF TRANSFORMATION
3. THE SEMIOTIC SQUARE
4. THE VERIDICTORY SQUARE
5. THE TENSIVE MODEL
6. THE ACTANTIAL MODEL
7. THE NARRATIVE PROGRAM
8. THE CANONICAL NARRATIVE SCHEMA
9. FIGURATIVE, THEMATIC AND AXIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
10. THYMIC ANALYSIS
11. SEMIC ANALYSIS
12. DIALOGICS
13. THE SEMANTIC GRAPH
14. ANALYSIS BY CLASSIFICATION
15. ANALYZING RHYTHM AND ARRANGEMENT
16. THE FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE
17. PEIRCE'S SEMIOTICS
18. NARRATOLOGY
19. THE ANTHROPIC ZONES
20. A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO SEMIOTICS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Biography
Louis Hébert is a professor of literature at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR, Canada). His research focuses primarily on semiotics (textual and visual), interpretive semantics, the methodology of literary analysis, Magritte and Buddhism.
His publications include Cours de sémiotique [Course in Semiotics] (Paris, Classique Garnier), L’analyse des textes littéraires: une méthodologie complète [Literary Text Analysis: A Complete Methodology] (Paris, Classiques Garnier) and Introduction à la sémantique des textes [An Introduction to the Semantics of Texts] (Paris, Honoré Champion). He is the editor or co-editor of five collective books. He is the editor of the Dictionnaire de sémiotique (http://www.signosemio.com/documents/dictionnaire-semiotique-generale.pdf), as well as of the bilingual website Signo—Theoretical Semiotics on the Web (www.signosemio.com) and an online database of nearly all of the works and themes of René Magritte (www.magrittedb.com).
Louis Hébert presents in this book, in a systematic and nevertheless very personal way, several key models of general semiotics and semantics, associated with a series of concrete texts and images analyses. He offers thus a textbook, which is reliable and precise, eclectic and consistent, for all students and teachers who seek firm and proven methods for the analysis of textual and visual works.
Jacques Fontanille, Université de Limoges, France
This textbook offers a treasure trove of concepts and interpretive strategies invaluable for analyzing texts, films, images, and practices. Succinct and lucid presentations accompanied by numerous examples, practical tips, and diagrams render it eminently accessible to students. Hébert’s originality and inclusive outlook yield refreshing perspectives on the topics.
Thomas F. Broden, Purdue University, USA
