italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear colleagues,
Save the date! Within the frame of our PRIN project «Make it explicit: Documenting interpretations of literary fictions with conceptual formal models – MITE», in two weeks we will be hosting an online research seminar featuring two great scholars in the fields of philosophy of language and literary studies, who will join us in discussing philosophical, narratological and rhetorical approaches to fictional characters.
March 20, 2024, 10.00 AM - 12.00 AM CET
*Francesco Orilia (University of Macerata, IT): Fictional Objects, Stories and Denoting Concepts*
Given an appropriate logical framework, noun phrases such as “every man,” “some man” or “the tallest spy,” can be taken to stand for properties of properties, which we may call denoting concepts (in the terminology of Russell’s Principles of Mathematics); in particular, the denoting concepts corresponding to definite descriptions may be called definite denoting concepts. Following a line first proposed by Nino Cocchiarella, I have defended the view that fictional objects, such as Pinocchio or Madame Bovary, are definite denoting concepts, somehow occurring in stories. Stories in turn are complex propositions somehow expressed by fictional works. In this talk I would like to clarify the main aspects and advantages of this approach and illustrate how it deals with some important data regarding the identity of ficta across different stories.
*James Phelan (University of Ohio, USA): ‘Characters Are Synthetic Constructs’: So What?*
Working within a conception of narrative as rhetoric, I have previously proposed that fictional character it is an element of narrative that has three simultaneously-existing components: the mimetic (character as an individual possible person); the thematic (character as representative of a group, an idea, or a set of ideas); and the synthetic (character as a construct within the larger construct of the whole narrative). The rhetorical dimension of this proposal is that both storytellers and their audiences implicitly work with this conception of character, and that both are flexible enough to have different components be more or less prominent as they move from one narrative to another. In this talk, I want to explore some of the consequences of the least controversial—and therefore, the least examined–part of this proposal, the stipulation that fictional characters are synthetic constructs. (Character theorists of all persuasions readily grant this stipulation, even though some use different terms; Alex Woloch, to take just one example, discusses character as having “reference” and “structure,” terms that correspond fairly well with “mimetic” and “synthetic.”) My hypothesis is that authorial and readerly awareness of the synthetic component of fictional character operates as tacit knowledge that has profound effects on both the construction and reception of fictional narratives that narrative theorists have not yet done justice to. In this respect, my talk asks, “how can I further develop a rhetorical theory of fictional character by making this tacit knowledge explicit?” I will pursue my answers by doing some theorizing about a rhetorical understanding of fictionality and by analyzing two case studies: Roddy Doyle’s “Worms,” a story committed to mimetic realism that audaciously leaves the fate of its main characters unresolved; and T.C. Boyle’s “Chicxulub,” another story committed to mimetic realism whose powerful surprise ending depends on the sudden introduction of a minor character.
For a list of readings suggested by our speakers, please visit our website: https://www.loa.istc.cnr.it/mite/index.php/research-seminar-march-20-2024/.
Seminars are open to all those interested. If you have not yet registered, you can fill the following form to receive the zoom link: http://tiny.cc/miteform
We look forward to discussing with you online!
Best wishes,
Gaia Tomazzoli
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