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 ong>anong>d in fiction--play ong>anong> importong>anong>t part in our lives ong>anong>d culture. Kendall Walton presents here a ong>theong>ory ong>ofong> ong>theong> nature ong>ofong> representation, which illuminates its mong>anong>y varieties ong>anong>d goes a long way toward explaining its importong>anong>ce. Drawing ong>anong>alogies to children's make believe activities, Walton constructs a ong>theong>ory that addresses a broad rong>anong>ge ong>ofong> issues: ong>theong> distinction between fiction ong>anong>d nonfiction, how depiction differs from description, ong>theong> notion ong>ofong> points ong>ofong> view in ong>theong> arts, ong>anong>d what it meong>anong>s for one work to be more "realistic" thong>anong> ong>anong>oong>theong>r. He explores ong>theong> relation between appreciation ong>anong>d criticism, ong>theong> character ong>ofong> emotional reactions to literary ong>anong>d visual representations, ong>anong>d what it meong>anong>s to be caught up emotionally in imaginary events. Walton's ong>theong>ory also provides solutions to ong>theong> thorny philosophical problems ong>ofong> ong>theong> existence--or ontological stong>anong>ding--ong>ofong> fictitious beings, ong>anong>d ong>theong> meong>anong>ing ong>ofong> statements referring to ong>theong>m. ong>Anong>d it leads to striking insights concerning imagination, dreams, nonliteral uses ong>ofong> long>anong>guage, ong>anong>d ong>theong> status ong>ofong> legends ong>anong>d myths. Throughout Walton applies his ong>theong>oretical perspective to particular cases; his ong>anong>alysis is illustrated by a rich array ong>ofong> examples drawn from literature, painting, sculpture, ong>theong>ater, ong>anong>d film. "Mimesis as Make-Believe" is importong>anong>t reading for everyone interested in ong>theong> workings ong>ofong> representational art.