Lingwistyczne i epistemologiczne konteksty fikcji literackiej

Abstract

The theoretical foundation of the essay is M. Benses model of ontological functions which comprises four functions: an object, a sign, consciuosness and communication. The linguistic analysis oł different arguments within the above functions makes one draw the following conclusion in the form of hypothesis: on the level of langue different vocabulary items may be given such syntactic and meaningful components which on the level of parole may become fictional. This fictional status may be associated with: l. a linguistic sign, 2. the representational function of a sign, 3. relations between signs, 4. an utterance, 5. an utterance in a literary text, 6. the representational function of an utterance, 7. a literary work, 8. the world represented in a literary work. However, the linguistic description of signs does not lead to the formulation of a complete model of competence and performance which would at the same time allow to believe a given sign to be fictional. The production and the reception of signs largely depends on the description of the function of consciousness which analyzes its objects in the context of its knowledge of other objects. Combining linguistic and epistemological reflection in the study of fiction one might broaden the conditions in which a given utterance is given the status of fiction. This widened description still does not allow us to accetp the arbitrary assumptions and methods of fictionalizing signs if we want to univocally describe their referentiality. Taking into account the current studies of the problem one may suspect that the incompleteness of the model of competence and performance with regard to the signs containing fictional components points to the basic feature of the signs in question. They can realize components of fictionality selectively, in accordance with the linguistic and extralinguistic contexts set in motion by the ontological function of the consciousness of an individual or a group.