INTERSUBJECTIVITY AND LITERATURE (Intersubiektywnosc i literatura)

This article is a preliminary proposal of how to redefine basic narratological notions in reference to issues and analytical methods of cognitive narratology. In light of the latter, literary narrative constitutes an experiment in accepting and representing someone else's perspective (cognitive, emotional, perceptual). This fact has to do with the properties of one of the basic forms of human consciousness - namely, the functioning of intersubjectivity as a permanent orientation of consciousness toward presence of other people being perceived as intentional and mental subjects. The possibility of taking into consideration another person's perspective is one of the most important features of human cognition, one being of great importance to cooperation and communication. The authoress' original creation of a character and the reader's mental representation of the latter can be considered to be an act of imaginary simulation of somebody else's perspective. Making use of the cognitive model of intersubjectivity in the theory of narrative enables a new interpretation of phenomena related to literary communication, literary character, and reception of literature. It also allows for extending the issues of consciousness in literature beyond the limits of conventions of presenting the character's internal speech.