Lubomir Dolezel's Literature Fiction and Possible Worlds Theory

Abstract

Abstract: Lubomir Dolezel is one of the most important literary theorists of the so-called fiction and possible worlds theory in the English world. In Dolezel's Heterocomica: Fiction and Possible Worlds, the author provides a conceptual framework of possible worlds against the one-world frame in traditional fiction study, arguing that fiction worlds are a special kind of possible worlds. Focusing on the fictional universe projected by literary texts and the discursive means of achieving fictional effects, he offers a new approach to narrative and fiction study. This paper is a complete review of the entire system of Dolezel's possible worlds theory, and argues that it is significantly illuminating to the development of China’s contemporary literary theory.

Key words: Lubomir Dolezel, possible words, fiction, narrative, one-world frame

Zhang Yu. Lubomir Dolezel's Literature Fiction and Possible Worlds Theory[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2017, 37(3): 130-140.

References

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(1)国内研究可能世界理论的论著不多,主要集中在英语专业范围,目前可见张新军专著《可能世界叙事学》(苏州:苏州大学出版社,2011年)和唐伟胜《文本语境读者当代美国叙事理论研究》(上海:世界图书出版公司,2013年)中的“可然世界”叙事理论章节。至于国内文学理论界则远没有注意和运用这一理论,只有赵毅衡先生曾在2013年发表文章提出过用可能世界理论来重新解释虚构与现实的关系问题。参见赵毅衡:“三界通达:用可能世界理论解释虚构与现实的关系,”《兰州大学学报》2(2013):1-7。

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