In the first two volumes of this work, Paul Ricoeur examined the relations between time and narrative in historical writing, fiction, and theories of literature. This final volume, a comprehensive reexamination and synthesis of the ideas developed in volumes 1 and 2, stands as Ricoeur's most complete and satisfying presentation of his own philosophy.

Time and Narrative

So this is not an interpretation; it is a story of interpretations.1 Interpretation is a current buzzword of the humanities and the social sciences, providing issues of discussion and confrontation mainly in literary and historical studies.2 But our interest is in philosophical interpretation and to that end we need to clearly define the parameters of philosophical interpretations versus all other interpretations. Not only will sociological and psychological factors going into Wittgenstein interpretation be deemed sidelines of this project, but also a huge group of other “interpretations,” such as, for example, literary analyses (of the Tractatus, or the Philosophical Investigations). These, then, become unimportant, except in the aftermath of the philosophical interpretation. In other words, we must first agree on the need for identifying an interpretation as a philosophical interpretation and, closely on the heels of that being done, we ask: what makes a philosophical interpretation “legitimate”? The thought instigating this project had to do with a theory of interpretation that supplies criteria for legitimate interpretation. The idea behind legitimacy is that interpretation is to be constrained by what one may or may not do while interpreting — and still be deemed interpreting. That problematic word (‘legitimate’) is used with some trepidation, in lieu of terms like ‘good’, ‘correct’, ‘satisfactory’, our point being to draw a line between the do’s and don’ts of interpreting philosophical works.

Interpretation and Overinterpretation

In recent years, different professional and academic settings have been increasingly utilizing ePortfolios to serve multiple purposes from recruitment to evaluation. This paper analyzes ePortfolios created by graduate students at a Canadian university. Demonstrated is how students’ constructions can, and should, be more than a simple compilation of artifacts. Examined is an online learning environment whereby we shared knowledge, supported one another in knowledge construction, developed collective expertise, and engaged in progressive discourse. In our analysis of the portfolios, we focused on reflection and deepening understanding of learning. We discussed students’ use of metaphors and hypertexts as means of making cognitive connections. We found that when students understood technological tools and how to use them to substantiate their thinking processes and to engage the readers/ viewers, their ePortfolios were richer and more complex in their illustrations of learning. With more experience and further analysis of exemplars of existing portfolios, students became more nuanced in their organization of their ePortfolios, reflecting the messages they conveyed. Metaphors and hypertexts became useful vehicles to move away from linearity and chronology to new organizational modes that better illustrated students’ cognitive processes. In such a community of inquiry, developed within an online learning space, the instructor and peers had an important role in enhancing reflection through scaffolding. We conclude the paper with a call to explore the interactions between viewer/ reader and the materials presented in portfolios as part of learning occasions.

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Eportfolios: From Description to Analysis.

Close reading is a technique from literary theory that has evolved over the years since its early formulations by John Crowe Ransom and the other “New Critics” in the late 1930s and early 1940s. A close reading is a detailed examination, deconstruction, and analysis of a media text. It is the quintessential humanist methodology, born in the study of literature, and adapted to other media forms such as cinema studies.

Well read: applying close reading techniques to gameplay experiences

Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Cybertext Theory Revisited Chapter 3: Cybertextuality and Transtextuality Chapter 4: The Textual Whole Chapter 5: Modes, Genres, Text Types and the Enigma of the Ergodic Chapter 6: Towards Cybertextual Narratology: The Amalgam of Narratologies Chapter 7: Interval 1: Towards an Expanded Narratology Chapter 8: Tense Chapter 9: Mood Chapter 10: Voice Chapter 11: Interval 2: Ergodic and Narrative Discourses Chapter 12: Ludology and the Exhaustion of Narratology Chapter 13: Game Ecology and the Classic Game Model Chapter 14: Game Ontology Chapter 15: The Gaming Situation Chapter 16: Game Time Chapter 17: Interval 3: Games as Configurative Practices: Models and Metaphors Chapter 18: Transmedial Modes and Ecologies Chapter 19: Ergodic Modes and Play Chapter 20: Textual Instruments and Instrumental Texts Bibliography Index.

Cybertext Poetics: The Critical Landscape of New Media Literary Theory

Traditional discourses upon literature have been predicated upon the ability to refer to a text that others may consult (Landow, 1994, p. 33). Texts that involve elements of feedback and non- trivial decision-making on the part of the reader (Aarseth, 1997, p. 1) therefore present a challenge to readers and critics alike. Since a persuasive case has been made against a critical method that sets out to "identify the task of interpretation as a task of territorial exploration and territorial mastery" (Aarseth, p. 87), this paper proposes the use of readers in an empirically based approach to hypertext fiction. Meta-interpretation, a method that combines individual responses to a text, reading logs, screen recordings and limited qualitative/quantitative analysis, and critical interpretation is outlined. By analysing readers' responses it is possible to suggest both the ways that textual elements may have influenced or determined readers' choices and the ways that readers' choices "configure" the text. The method thus addresses Espen Aarseth's concerns and illuminates interesting features of interactive processes in fictional environments. The paper is divided into two parts: the first part sketches out meta-interpretation through consideration of the main problems confronting the literary critic; the second part describes reading research aimed at generating data for the literary critic.

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Colin Barry Gardner

Papers

Meta-Interpretation and Hypertext Fiction: A Critical Response