Relevo discursivo e uso do passado imperfectivo em narrativas literárias

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the correlation between foreground discursive plan and perfectivity and background discursive plan and imperfectivity, in order to demonstrate that imperfective forms do not only describe, comment, inform details, and support the main actions, but are also responsible for the narrative progression. The data of the imperfect past and imperfective periphrases were analyzed in twenty-four short stories written by Spanish authors, selected according to the following cultural parameter: Caribbean; Mexico and Central America; Andes; Rio de Prata; Chile and Spain. A total of 2093 data was obtained, being 1803 of the imperfect indicative past, 86,15% of the total, and 290 imperfective past periphrases, which corresponded to 13,85% of the total. It turned out that the imperfective past forms took on new roles over time, formerly used as narrative background as they started acing in the textual progression. Our results also demonstrated the use of imperfective and periphrases in the codification of various functions: (i) descriptive, narrative, habitual, and desiderative functions are variably codified by the imperfective and the periphrases; (ii) the interactive functions, present, future, simultaneity, courtesy, recreational, and contrariety are codified, in the analyzed corpus, only by the imperfect.