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The Implied Reader: Patterns of Communication in Prose Fiction from Bunyan to Beckett
TLDR
Iser as mentioned in this paper analyzed major works of English fiction ranging from Bunyan, Fielding, Scott, and Thackeray to Joyce and Beckett, and provided a framework for a theory of such literary effects and aesthetic responses.Abstract:
Like no other art form, the novel confronts its readers with circumstances arising from their own environment of social and historical norms and stimulates them to assess and criticize their surroundings. By analyzing major works of English fiction ranging from Bunyan, Fielding, Scott, and Thackeray to Joyce and Beckett, renowned critic Wolfgang Iser here provides a framework for a theory of such literary effects and aesthetic responses. Iser's focus is on the theme of discovery, whereby the reader is given the chance to recognize the deficiencies of his own existence and the suggested solutions to counterbalance them. The content and form of this discovery is the calculated response of the reader -- the implied reader. In discovering the expectations and presuppositions that underlie all his perceptions, the reader learns to "read" himself as he does the text.read more
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Screening the Jury: Textual Strategy and Moral Response in Mordecai Richler's St. Urbain's Horseman
TL;DR: The theme of moral judgment that is implicit in Mordecai Richler's early novels is explicit in St Urbain's Horseman Unlike Noah Adler and Duddy Kravitz, Jake Hersh faces more than metaphorical conviction on figurative moral charges He stands before judge and jury, family and friends, media and audience charged with indecent assault, possession of cannabis, and aiding and abetting sodomy Significantly, readers are virtually excluded from the court proceedings: only on the last day of trial are they permitted unmediated access to the Old Bailey, and only at Jake
Book ChapterDOI
The Dystopian Counterfactual World and Unreliable Narration in The Sound of His Horn
TL;DR: The Sound of his horn as discussed by the authors presents two worlds: the world that the protagonist Alan originates in and a counterfactual dystopian world that Alan travels to (TAW2).
Journal ArticleDOI
Speaking and Remaining Silent about the World Beyond
TL;DR: The authors argue that literature can never only be about itself; even if it attempts to repudiate the world, the world will forever be part of what makes literature possible, and that literature does not contain reality either; therefore, fiction recognizes that it is a self-contained artifact which can only engage in a representation of itself, hav ing no interest in proffering its readers any thing but an understanding of itself.
Transatlantic talk : a web-mediated discussion on literary texts between teacher students
TL;DR: In this paper, an empirical case study was conducted to learn if and how cross-cultural web-baseda synchronous interactive conversatio- fication can open doors for new perspectives.