Context-dependent vantage points in literary narratives: A functional cognitive approach

Abstract

This paper offers a model for the interpretation of stories as referential scenes in narrative discourses as joint attentional scenes (see Tomasello 1999). It is proposed that narrative interpretation crucially builds on the context-dependent processing of the physical, social, and mental worlds presented by the narrative, pertaining to spatio-temporal relations, interpersonal relations, and the mental states of participants, respectively (see Tátrai 2010a; cf. Verschueren 1999). Set against the background of social cognitive linguistics (cf. Sinha 1999; Croft 2009), the model has a strong pragmatic orientation with its focus on the role of two context-dependent vantage points in the generation of a discourse universe (see Sanders and Spooren 1997). The first is the referential center that forms the basis of the situative grounding of the narrative's spatio-temporal and interpersonal relations. Second, the subject of consciousness plays a fundamental role in providing access to the mental processes of participants. The paper demonstrates the model's applicability by a pragmatic analysis of “That Will Be Fine” by William Faulkner.