ABSTRACT
The figures of the plane of content dramatically highlight the gap between long-lasting meanings of linguistic expressions and contingent relevant messages. The responsibility for this dramatization undoubtedly lies in conceptual conflict, which makes it impossible to see the meaning of the expression immediately as a relevant message. This chapter includes some general reflections about the relationship between meaningful linguistic expressions and communication inspired by the textual behavior of figures. It examines the gap between meanings and messages as the most essential property of verbal communication, along with its ethical nature and its indexical structure. The chapter then describes the structure of the interpretation process, the idea of an interpretation field, and the main differences between literal, nonliteral, and figurative interpretation. It focuses on the specific conditions under which literary texts are interpreted and at some specific aspects of their form and content.
