Srdečne Vás pozývame na ústavný seminár s názvom „Exploring the “What Ifs”: How Readers Perceive and Engage with Counterfactuals in Literature“, na ktorom kolegyňa Ainur Kakimova z nášho ústavu, predstaví výsledky svojej dizertačnej práce, v ktorej skúmala, ako vnímajú “čo ak” scenáre v literature čitatelia a čitateľky v závislosti na tom, či čítajú v ich rodnom alebo v inom jazyku. Seminár bude v angličtine.
Seminár sa uskutoční 9.12.2024 o 14:00 hybridnou formou (ÚVSK + online). V prípade záujmu o online účasť, prosíme vyplňte jednoduchý formulár: https://forms.gle/mcKCWzFN2kTPXTpp8
Najneskôr v deň konania semináru Vám budú zaslané prístupové údaje k online stretnutiu. Maximálny počet účastníkov a účastníčok mimo ÚVSK SAV je 50 ľudí.
Abstract: Counterfactuals – “what if” scenarios imagining events that could have happened but did not – are powerful literary devices that enrich narratives and challenge readers to engage in complex cognitive and emotional processes. This presentation examines how native and second-language readers perceive and evaluate counterfactuals, focusing on their impact on comprehension and emotional engagement. Through case studies of The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway and Fatherland by Robert Harris, I analyze counterfactuals at the micro level, as reflections on unactualized events, and the macro level, where they construct alternative historical worlds. Grounded in the possible worlds framework, my research integrates findings from eye-tracking experiments and self-report studies, revealing that readers engage with counterfactuals through imagination, evaluation, and emotional response. While second-language readers expend greater cognitive effort, their comprehension is comparable to that of native readers. By illustrating how counterfactuals shape the reading experience, this study highlights their unique role in deepening narrative complexity and offering fresh insights into reader engagement.