1. a) In order to read signs, one has to know:

        the language (Spanish);
        the culture (Inca beliefs);
        the power structure (who is in charge where);
        the environment (geography and wildlife);
        how to interpret the lack of signs (silence).

    b) In order to be successful in interpreting the signs, one has to:

        pick the right signs (do you believe the black and yellow flag raised above the boat, or do you think that
           the Inca origin of the doctor is more important);
        look beneath the surface meaning ('No sé' does not simply mean 'I don't know.' It means 'I don't want
           to tell you.');
        use the 'Sherlock Holmes' (deductive) method ? look at all the signs and try to relate them in a logical
           (systematic) way in order to figure out the meaning;
        apply background knowledge (of the language, culture, etc.).

2. Adult authority figures:

        a) The Spanish:

         control law enforcement (they are the police chiefs), but this power is more nominal than real;
         control finance (wear suits, smoke cigars, have offices);
         are free to abuse the local people without being punished (e.g. attack Zorrino);
         their power is already established and they don't use guns to protect it.

        b) The Incas:

         use weapons to attack their enemies;
         have the power of religion (the Inca is the Prince of the Sun);
         have the power of mystery and secrecy (everybody knows that something horrible will happen to people
            who cross the Incas, but nobody knows what this horrible thing is or how and when it will come
            about);
         have the power of silence.

        c) The "West" (Tintin, Haddock, etc.):

            use weapons only to defend themselves;
            have the power of science;
            have the power of speech (Tintin not only understands Spanish, but manages to appropriate the Inca
                discourse).

    3. Tintin:

            is the indestructible hero (somewhat like Thumbling);
            relies on science and technology (whereas the folktale heroes rely on magic);
            has no family;
            is part of a trio (together with Haddock and Snowy);
            is a detective;
            there is no end to his adventures (he never "lives happily ever after");
            is as one-dimensional as can be;
            never changes.

4. a) Images:

             tell the story in detail (if you don't have the pictures, you might miss some of the action);
             are vague on specifics (there are jungles and mountains in many places in the world ? just by looking at
                the pictures you wouldn't know it's Peru);
            fix the main characters in a certain image (Tintin always looks the same).

    b) Words:

         name the objects (if you didn't have the words, you wouldn't know that what you see in the picture is
            'guano', a 'condor', or 'Peru')
         help the reader to interpret visual signs (e.g. the flag that is raised to mean "contagious disease on board");
         show power relationships better (those in power speak more fluently).

c) Interaction:

         if the words are removed, the story will become very general (the reader wouldn't know where the action
            takes place and what all the strange animals in it are called),
         and the action might even be misinterpreted (you wouldn't know why Tintin breaks into the Inca temple
            or why the Incas want to burn him at the stake, so you might conclude that he has done something
            wrong or that the Incas are evil);
         if the images are removed, the meaning of some words or actions will be lost (e.g. the words say "llama
            always do that when he is angry", but they don't explain what "that" is),
         and since the words don't describe all the events that take place (e.g. Thompson and Thomson bump into
        a road sign without speaking), the reader might miss part of the action.

5. Science:

         is shown as superior to superstition and religious beliefs;
         knows more about the Universe and how it works;
         relies on logic, and thus helps detective work;
         allows for suspicion, and is thus able to look beneath surface meanings.

6. Religion:

        has better knowledge of the immediate surroundings (hidden temples and secret passages);
        establishes and preserves the local tradition through ritual;
        opposes the colonizers through secrecy, silence and threat of mysterious powers (crystal balls, human
            sacrifice, etc.);
        is the guardian of the ancient Inca treasures;
        Dr Calculus's pendulum serves as a bridge between science and religion, but it provides useful
            information only when used and "read" properly (e.g. Thompson and Thomson are unable to interpret
            what it tells them).

7. Discourse:
 

    a) The Spanish:

             do not question Inca loyalty (believe what the Inca doctor tells them, abuse Zorrino just for fun);
             establish official rules (are able to issue formal orders of cooperation).

    b) The Incas:

             control silence;
             use the language the Spanish/Westerners would want to hear (low, uneducated speech);
             eloquence means power (compare the way Zorrino and the Inca speak; compare how the way the high
                    priest speaks changes according to the role he is playing).

c) The Westerners:

            Captain Haddock's speech expresses his total lack of reconciliation with the outside world. Haddock
                bumps into language just like he bumps into objects.
            Professor Calculus and Thompson and Thomson use a sterile, scientific language that shows their
                detachment from anything outside their domain.
           Tintin is in control of language ? he asks questions, threatens, and understands best what the others have
                to say. Tintin's discourse is most effective, because it is flexible. Tintin understands all other
                discourses (Spanish, religion, science, etc.) and he is able to slip into any one of them (scientist,
                detective, local peasant, Inca priest).