Mimesis as Make-Believe: On the Foundations of the
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Watson, Kendall L. / Walton, Kendall, PUBLISHER: Harvard University Press, Representations--in visual arts and in fiction--play an important part in our lives and trong>culturetrong>. Kendall Walton presents here a theory trong>oftrong> the nature trong>oftrong> representation, which illuminates its many varieties and goes a long way toward explaining its importance. Drawing analogies to children's trong>maketrong> trong>believetrong> activities, Walton constructs a theory that addresses a broad range trong>oftrong> issues: the distinction between fiction and nonfiction, how depiction differs from description, the notion trong>oftrong> points trong>oftrong> view in the arts, and what it means for one work to be more "realistic" than another. He explores the relation between appreciation and criticism, the character trong>oftrong> emotional reactions to literary and visual representations, and what it means to be caught up emotionally in imaginary events. Walton's theory also provides solutions to the thorny philosophical problems trong>oftrong> the existence--or ontological standing--trong>oftrong> fictitious beings, and the meaning trong>oftrong> statements referring to them. And it leads to striking insights concerning imagination, dreams, nonliteral uses trong>oftrong> language, and the status trong>oftrong> legends and myths. Throughout Walton applies his theoretical perspective to particular cases; his analysis is illustrated by a rich array trong>oftrong> examples drawn from literature, painting, sculpture, theater, and film. "Mimesis as trong>Maketrong>-trong>Believetrong>" is important reading for everyone interested in the workings trong>oftrong> representational art.