Plurality of Possible Worlds

(Cognitive analyses of the novel «The Forsyte Saga» by John Galsworthy)

Pushmina S.A.

Leibnizian concept,

philosophers of the analytic school [Kripke

(1981), Lewis (1968), Hintikka (1980)],

a group of literary scholars [Eco (1984), Pavel (1989), Dolezel (2000)],

Ryan M.-L.

The theory of possible worlds

“the basis of the theory is the set-theoretical

idea that reality - the sum of the imaginable - is a

universe composed of a plurality of distinct

elements. This universe is hierarchically

structured by the opposition of one well-designated

element, which functions as the centre of the

system, to all the other members of the set. The

resulting structure is known as ‘modal system’, or

M-model (Kripke).

The theory of Mary-Laure Ryan

The central element is commonly interpreted as ‘the

actual world’, and the satellites as merely possible

worlds. For a world to be possible it must be linked to the

centre by a so-called ‘accessibility relation’. The boundary

between possible and impossible worlds depends on the

particular interpretation given to the notion of accessibility.

The most common interpretation associates possibility with

logical laws; every world that respects the principles of

non-contradiction and the excluded middle is a PW.”

.

The theory of Mary-Laure Ryan

“to recognize its complexity and

to formulate an appropriate analytical

structure through which this

complexity can be made more

manageable” [Qavins (2007)].

Text World Theory

1. The PW imagined and asserted by the author, which consists of all the states presented as actual by the fabula;

2. The possible subworlds that are imagined, believed, wished (etc.) by the characters;

3. The possible subworlds that the reader imagines, believes, wishes (etc.) in the course of reading, and that the fabula either actualises or ‘counterfactualises’ by taking another fork.

Types of worlds (Eco)

N.Cheremisina and N. Novikova :

“every situation (with its time, space, and

personages) is a small world” [Novikova

(2000)].

Daniel McIntyre:

“there are numerous deictic fields in the

fictional narration” [Mc Intyre (2003)].

Plurality of possible worlds

“by deixis is meant the location and

identification of persons, events, processes

and activities being talked about, or referred to,

in relation to the spatiotemporal context

created and sustained by the act of utterance

and the participation in it, typically, of a single

speaker and at least one addressee” [Lyons

1977:637].

Deixis

1. Place;

2. Temporal;

3. Person;

4. Social;

5. Empathetic.

Deixis

Plurality of possible worlds

• The Forsyte Saga: The Man of Property,1964. – 464p.;

• The Forsyte Saga: In Chancery/ Book 2, 1975. – 304p.;

• The Forsyte Saga: To Let/ Book 3,1975. – 255p.

John Galsworthy «The Forsyte Saga»

Microworld of Irene in her

youth;

Microworld of Irene in the

house of Soames Forsyte;

Microworld of Irene the

Forsyte family;

Microworld of Irene Heron.

External possible worlds

Deictic categories: D1: Bournemouth, D2: spring of the year 1881, D3: Irene, D4: stepdaughter of Mrs.

Heron, D5: affection.

Reference: Irene Heron, she.

.

"Who is that girl with yellow hair and dark eyes?" he asked. "That oh! Irene Heron. Her father, Professor Heron, died this year. She lives with her stepmother. She's a nice girl, a pretty girl, but no money!" "Introduce me, please," said Soames. It was very little that he found to say, nor did he find her responsive to that little. But he went away with the resolution to see her again. He effected his object by chance, meeting her on the pier with her stepmother, who had the habit of walking there from twelve to one of a forenoon. Soames made this lady's acquaintance with alacrity, nor was it long before he perceived in her the ally he was looking for. His keen scent for the commercial side of family life soon told him that Irene cost her stepmother more than the fifty pounds a year she brought her; it also told him that Mrs. Heron, a woman yet in the prime of life, desired to be married again. The strange ripening beauty of her stepdaughter stood in the way of this desirable consummation

PW of Irene in her youth [The Man of Property, part 2, chapter 1, page 159]

.

"

Internal possible worlds

The microworld of Irene

and Soames Forsyte

love – hate – error – property – evil

– fear – pain – pleasure – marriage –

superiority – secret – resentment – vice –

punishment – contempt – triumph –

crime;

The microworld of Irene

and Philip Bosinney

love – amusement – agreement –

beauty – fear – pain;

The microworld of Irene

and Jolyon Forsyte

love – feelings – poetry – relief –

choice – beauty – hope;

The microworld of Irene

and her son Jolyon

love – teaching – beauty – fear –

secret – distance – lie.

Awakening, p 270: "All right, old man, you go and love her."Key-word «love» To Let, part 1, chapter 3, page 34: Still there was Jon, more important in her life than himself;

Jon, who adored his mother.Key-word «love» To Let, part 1, chapter 6, page 57:He was eager, but did not gush; he was a splendid listener,

sympathetic, reticent about himself. He evidently loved their father, and adored his mother.

Key-word «love»To Let, part 3, chapter 6, page 204):"I know I told you a lie, Jon. But I told it out of love.""Yes, oh! yes! That's nothing!"Key-word «love»

The microworld of Irene and her son Jolyon

Plurality of PW of Irene ForsyteInner possible worldIrene Forsyte

John Galsworthy «The Forsyte Saga»

Thank you for your attention!