An experiential view on what makes literature relevant
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Louis de Saussure
Abstract
It’s a common intuition that literature is a special kind of language use, pursuing other aims than the mere transmission of information. This intuition is reflected in the notion that literature is art, whereas ordinary conversation is not, and that reading literature is a particular sort of experience, significant in a particular way. However, the common view in pragmatics is that literary works are not exceptional in terms of how language is used. In this paper, I discuss this issue by exploring Sperber and Wilson’s (2015) notion of ‘impressions’ and develop a tentative account of literature as triggering relevant imaginative experiences. These experiences, I argue, relate to expressivity and to affective, emotional, effects; they match readers’ expectations of relevance by means of their resonance with the individual’s own memories and imaginative experiences.
Abstract
It’s a common intuition that literature is a special kind of language use, pursuing other aims than the mere transmission of information. This intuition is reflected in the notion that literature is art, whereas ordinary conversation is not, and that reading literature is a particular sort of experience, significant in a particular way. However, the common view in pragmatics is that literary works are not exceptional in terms of how language is used. In this paper, I discuss this issue by exploring Sperber and Wilson’s (2015) notion of ‘impressions’ and develop a tentative account of literature as triggering relevant imaginative experiences. These experiences, I argue, relate to expressivity and to affective, emotional, effects; they match readers’ expectations of relevance by means of their resonance with the individual’s own memories and imaginative experiences.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Section 1. Beyond meaning
- Beyond meaning NN and ostension 11
- Contrastive stress in English 29
- Presupposition effects 43
- Metaphor comprehension 61
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Section 2. Beyond meaning
- Conceptual mappings and contextual assumptions 79
- An experiential view on what makes literature relevant 99
- Humorous means, serious messages 119
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Section 3. Furthur beyond
- Experiences of ineffable significance 135
- Hushed tones 151
- Onomatopoeia, impressions and text on screen 161
- Before meaning 177
- Index 199
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1. Beyond meaning
- Beyond meaning NN and ostension 11
- Contrastive stress in English 29
- Presupposition effects 43
- Metaphor comprehension 61
-
Section 2. Beyond meaning
- Conceptual mappings and contextual assumptions 79
- An experiential view on what makes literature relevant 99
- Humorous means, serious messages 119
-
Section 3. Furthur beyond
- Experiences of ineffable significance 135
- Hushed tones 151
- Onomatopoeia, impressions and text on screen 161
- Before meaning 177
- Index 199
