Semantic polyphony of a contrapuntal writing: The ico-textual voices through the prism of symbolism in “The Story of Julie Who Had a Boy's Shadow”

Abstract

Drawing on the transdisciplinary understanding of counterpoint, our study examines how the album “Histoire de Julie qui avait une ombre de garçon deploys a plurality of ico-textual voices to deconstruct the hegemony of a single authorial voice and to establish a plural enunciative space.
Our article therefore seeks to understand how dialogue, contradiction, or complementarity between different semiotic modes guide the reader’s interpretation toward a specific symbolism, particularly concerning questions of identity as well as familial and societal relationships.
Relying on Nikolajeva and Scott’s typology of text–image interactions and on a qualitative methodology combining visual semiotics and discourse analysis, our study aims to shed light on a complex polyphonic network in which symbolism emerges from the frictions, echoes, and dissonances between iconic and verbal voices. This work is as much a literary object as it is an artistic one, transcending the simplicity of the traditional narrative for young readers. The meanings that unfold before the reader do so through carefully orchestrated interactions of voices, inviting them to perceive the subtleties of both visual and textual language, while foregrounding a central symbolism:  Julie and her shadow illustrating a journey toward otherness.
The album thus becomes a reading space where readers of all ages are invited to engage in an active and empathetic reflection.