A manifestação figurativa da transgressão em Capitães da areia, de Jorge Amado

Abstract

This study investigates the construction of the meaning of transgression in Capitães da Areia (2008) by Jorge Amado, through the lens of discursive semiotics. Based on the modal conflict between /wanting-to-do/ and /having-not-to-do/, the research aims to understand how transgression emerges not only as a narrative structure but also as a figurative configuration. Grounded in the theoretical works of Greimas and Courtés (1979), Calbucci (2003), and Bertrand (2003), the analysis explores how social exclusion, abandonment, and state neglect in

the novel constitute an incoative /not-being-able/, which drives subjects toward a /wanting-to- be/, in tension with a /having-not-to-be/. On the figurative level, this modal configuration is

examined through the figures of the "captains of the sands," whose traits, actions, and relationships embody various forms of transgression. Within this framework, figurative spaces are also analyzed, revealing how spatialization contributes to structuring transgression. Finally, the study proposes an analysis of the trajectory that transforms transgression into a revolutionary perspective, highlighting the socio-political horizon of Jorge Amado’s narrative.