Possible Worlds in Literary Theory

The concept of possible worlds originally introduced in philosophical logic proves to be a productive tool when borrowed by literary theory to explain the notion of fictional worlds. Ruth Ronen develops a comparative reading of the use of possible worlds in philosophy and in literary theory. She suggests new criteria for the definition of fictionality; and through specific studies of domains within fictional worlds--events objects time and point of view--she proposes a radical rethinking of fictionality in general and fictional narrativity in particular.