Open AccessJong lesers se identifisering met karakters: skryfteorie en -praktyk
Author(s) -
Franci Greyling
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
literator
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.126
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2219-8237
pISSN - 0258-2279
DOI - 10.4102/lit.v26i2.230
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , depiction , pleasure , narrative , reading (process) , phenomenon , relation (database) , psychology , linguistics , epistemology , computer science , philosophy , botany , database , neuroscience , biology
Young readers’ identification with characters: the theory and practice of creative writing It is generally acknowledged that reader identification with characters contributes to readers’ involvement in the text and the subsequent pleasure derived from reading stories. It seems that establishing a relationship with the implied reader of the text comes naturally for successful authors. There is, however, a lack of coherent theory on reader identification with characters which can be used in the teaching of creative writing. This article combines insights gained from various disciplines in order to develop a coherent theory of the phenomenon of reader identification. Of special interest are the results of reader-response research regarding the relation between individuals’ development phase and identification with characters. Some of the possibilities which the writer can utilise to establish a relationship with the reader and influence the nature of reader identification with characters are the choice of characters and their depiction in the text, the narrative strategy and the use of viewpoint