Role positions of the reader in a cognitive scene “Meeting with a literary character”

Abstract

The present study results from integration of linguistic and sociological knowledge. Rich database obtained through the sociological survey acts as valuable data for further linguistic investigation. As the study object we took the utterances of respondents who participated in the second part of the sociological survey with university students as target group; the survey was carried out in three Russian regions — Moscow, Volgograd and Astrakhan. One of the questions in the questionnaire was “What literary character would you like to meet in person and why?” The respondents gave 869 detailed answers. Out of the total number the authors selected 224 responses regarding the figure of the desired partner in the imaginary meeting. The priority was given to the literary characters with the highest rates of popularity among the respondents. Cognitive scene “Meeting with a literary character” was modelled on the basis of propositions with focus on their permanent elements which are agent and patient of the situation and the predicate. Predicates performed the role of the semantic center in each utterance. Taking into account predicative relations within propositions, the authors identified main role positions the readers (interpreters) take in a cognitive scene. Those respondents who opt for passive observation fall into three groups — critics, viewers and listeners. The respondents who prefer interaction and even manipulation are seen as dialogue partners and co-workers in the event.