Abstract
Language is like a chameleon. Unlike everyday discourse, one of the key features of literary texts is their ability to disrupt the stability of discourse's reference to reality and to construct complex and diverse referential relationships. This effort unleashes the referential potential of discourse, unfolding an intricate “referential game”. This kind of “misuse” of reference not only serves as the foundation of literary texts, but also enables literary discourse to continually explore the complex connections between real and unreal, possible and impossible relations. Through these “referential games”, the world appears in its many forms, enriching human experience with infinite diversity. Literary texts are the training ground for these “referential games”, where the magical qualities and rich connotations of language are fully displayed. It is in these games that the “poetic” and the “literary” take root and thrive.
Keywords
literary texts, referential game, If on a Winter's Night, a Traveler, the narrator
First Page
59
Last Page
67
Recommended Citation
Jiaguang, Huang, and Ma Dakang. 2024. "The “Referential Game” in Literary Texts." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44, (5): pp.59-67. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss5/6
