TOWARDS A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE STATE : THE EPITHET AS A PRECURSOR OF DEVIANCE IN GEORGES CONCHONS L ETAT SAUVAGE AND SONY LABOU TANSIS LETAT HONTEUX

What creates a thematic connection between the front covers of Georges Conchons LEtatsauvage and Sony Labou Tansis LEtathonteux is the presence of the noun phrase Etat in the titles of both novels. This connection is reinforced by the juxtaposition of an adjective that qualifies each state. This article examines the semiotics of the states in the corpus based on the presence of the adjective, which raises the issue of norms and deviations. Through isotopy and semantic analysis, it first shows how the axiological value of the epithets savage and shameful denotes the deviation that establishes the singularity of the states in the corpus. Next, the study notes that the epithets savage and shameful constitute prisms through which social and political themes are broken down. Finally, it attempts to highlight a colonial and postcolonial discourse, symbolic of the denial and rejection of the state.