The present work takes a closer look at Text World Theory through analysing Margaret Atwood’s novella "The Penelopiad". Text World Theory (TWT) analyses the mental representations human beings create when indulging in any kind of discourse, the written as well as the spoken one. It structures these mental representations in worlds which have a certain hierarchy between each other. Since Professor Paul Werth developed this theory in the 1980s and 1990s, it has been revised and restructured several times. The question arises whether the structure of TWT is still in need of improvement, as Werth’s three-dimensional structure already proved to be unsatisfactory to some text-world researchers, like Joanna Gavins.
To answer this question, I will look at the mental representation of worlds Margaret Atwood’s novella "The Penelopiad" is able to generate. I am going to argue that this novella is proof that there can be more than one Text World (TW). From these TW, further types of worlds can be created, like Sub-Worlds (SW), Possible Worlds (PW) and in-Text Worlds (iTW), a term which I personally coined. I will try to prove that the major difference between TW and the other world types is the point of view from which they are told.
As the size of the assignment does not allow to analyze the whole TWT structure of "The Penelopiad" in depth, I am going to concentrate on certain aspects only. First of all, it will be the structure in a whole that is going to be the focus and not the content of the single worlds. Furthermore, the parts which deviate from the traditional structure of TWT will be granted more attention than those which overlap it. Finally, only the worlds which are told from Penelope’s perspective will be analyzed. This implies that the TW of the Maids (TW4) will just be mentioned, but not analyzed. Consequently, a lot of this topic will still be open for discussion. "The Penelopiad" is suitable for a TWT analysis as it is set in the particular domain of gender studies.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Overview on Text World Theory (TWT)
2.1 Traditional TWT structure
2.1.1 Discourse World (DW)
2.1.2 Text World (TW)
2.1.3 Sub-World (SW)
2.2 Major changes to the traditional TWT structure
3. Rationale for the selection of The Penelopiad
4. Analysis of the TWT structure of The Penelopiad
4.1 Discourse World (DW)
4.2 Text World (TW)
4.3 In-Text World (iTW)
4.4 Sub-World (SW)
4.5 Possible World (PW)
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Themes
The primary objective of this work is to examine the applicability and potential limitations of traditional Text World Theory (TWT) when analyzing the complex narrative structure of Margaret Atwood's novella The Penelopiad, specifically focusing on the hierarchy and interaction of various mental world representations.
- Cognitive linguistic analysis of mental world representations.
- Evaluation of traditional TWT structures proposed by Paul Werth and later revisions by Joanna Gavins.
- The role of point-of-view in distinguishing between Text Worlds and Sub-Worlds.
- Introduction of the "In-Text World" (iTW) concept to account for narrative shifts within a world layer.
- The influence of the Discourse World and reader perspective on the hierarchy of Possible Worlds.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Text World (TW)
As already stated, The Penelopiad seems to have more than one TW. However, it appears that Ryan’s (1991) theory of the ‘unknowable center’ (p. 567) can be applied on this text as it is difficult to state what constitutes the actual TW center. It could be argued that there are actually only two TW, one centering around the story of Penelope in Hades and the other around the Maids, and that TW2 and TW3 are actually SW, as they are told from the perspective of Penelope in Hades. Nevertheless, the prominence of these two worlds cannot be denied as they take up more than half of the book and the shift of location is rather strong. Therefore, even though TW2 and TW3 are told as though they happened in the past, they are still on a TW level. With this, it becomes clear that the actual TW center is made up by more than one TW.
It is important to keep in mind that what happens in a TW will be taken as the truth onto which all other worlds have to be measured. Ryan (1991) describes this phenomenon and states that when reading a fictional text, the reader can ‘depart from this world, select another world as actual, and create through further mental acts a network of alternative possible worlds around the new center’ (p. 554). As The Penelopiad is a fictional story which is based on mythical tales whose truth has never been proven, the reader must decide which events of the story constitute the new reality and which are unreal even in that universe. The latter will create the level of PW, further described in chapter 4.5.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the application of Text World Theory to Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad and establishes the research goal of testing the traditional TWT hierarchy.
2. Overview on Text World Theory (TWT): Defines the core concepts of TWT, including Discourse Worlds, Text Worlds, and Sub-Worlds as originally formulated by Paul Werth.
2.1 Traditional TWT structure: Details the fundamental architecture of discourse processing and the distinct roles of DW, TW, and SW.
2.1.1 Discourse World (DW): Explains the initial level of interaction between reader and author in constructing the foundation of the discourse.
2.1.2 Text World (TW): Discusses the central focus on text-based world-building elements and narrative progression.
2.1.3 Sub-World (SW): Examines shifts in focus—deictic, attitudinal, and epistemic—that lead to the creation of embedded worlds.
2.2 Major changes to the traditional TWT structure: Reviews scholarly revisions to TWT, particularly Joanna Gavins' suggestions regarding the importance of Sub-Worlds and multi-layered Text Worlds.
3. Rationale for the selection of The Penelopiad: Justifies the choice of the novella based on its complex gendered narrative, frequent flashbacks, and multifaceted character structures.
4. Analysis of the TWT structure of The Penelopiad: Provides a structural analysis of the novella, highlighting the deviations from traditional models and the inter-world connections.
4.1 Discourse World (DW): Analyzes how the author's intent, the reader's background, and cultural context influence the construction of the discourse.
4.2 Text World (TW): Investigates the multiple centers of the novella and the reader's role in determining truth within the text's reality.
4.3 In-Text World (iTW): Introduces and defines the iTW as a necessary layer for managing narrative shifts within a primary Text World.
4.4 Sub-World (SW): Explores how various human, divine, and historical sub-worlds exist and interact within the larger hierarchy.
4.5 Possible World (PW): Discusses how different versions of reality, such as myth vs. historical narrative, lead to the formation of Possible Worlds.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings and confirms the necessity for a more nuanced layering of TWT to accommodate modern, complex narratives.
Keywords
Text World Theory, TWT, The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood, Discourse World, Text World, Sub-World, Possible World, In-Text World, Cognitive Linguistics, Narratology, Mental Representation, Gender Studies, World-Repair, Literary Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
This work applies Text World Theory (TWT) to Margaret Atwood's novella The Penelopiad to analyze how mental representations of narrative worlds are structured and layered.
What are the central themes discussed?
The primary themes involve the cognitive construction of narratives, the hierarchy of worlds (Discourse, Text, Sub, and Possible), and the influence of point-of-view on world building.
What is the main objective or research question?
The research investigates whether the traditional three-dimensional structure of TWT is sufficient to account for the complexity of The Penelopiad and proposes modifications to this structure.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper employs cognitive linguistic methodology, specifically drawing on Text World Theory, to map out the mental spaces and world-switches within the text.
What does the main body cover?
The main body provides a detailed analysis of the hierarchy of worlds in the novella, identifies the necessity for a new "In-Text World" layer, and examines how readers navigate between competing truths.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Text World Theory, mental representation, narrative layering, world-switch, In-Text World, and possible worlds.
What is the specific role of the "In-Text World" (iTW) proposed by the author?
The iTW is proposed as a distinct layer that accommodates narrative shifts occurring within a single Text World, often triggered by significant changes in a main character's life or location.
How does the reader’s Discourse World impact the analysis of this novella?
The reader's background knowledge, particularly in feminist literature and gender studies, is shown to influence how the reader constructs and prioritizes different reality centers within the story.
Why are the Maids' chapters significant to the TWT structure analysis?
The Maids' perspectives create a separate set of Text Worlds and Possible Worlds, challenging the reader to identify which version of the events is "true" within the narrative hierarchy.
How does the concept of "world-repair" apply to the interpretation of this work?
World-repair refers to the reader's cognitive process of modifying an existing world model when new, conflicting information is introduced, which the author links to the creation of new Possible Worlds.
- Citar trabajo
- Stefanie Dalvai (Autor), 2018, Designing a New Structure of Text World Theory (TWT), Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/456428
