Topoi and interpretation

Topic, which constitutes an important part of literary studies, concerns al l cultural studies. After a brief survey of different traditions (rhetoric, folklore studies, narratology), we examine the definition and the status o f the topos, as well as the methodological problems which are at stake as f ar as its identification, encoding and recontextualisation are concerned. A few examples enable us to think over the connections between literary sema ntic and ideology.