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