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- Title
In Search of Characters Without Signifiers.
- Authors
Aarseth, Espen; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
- Abstract
This essay explores the question whether characters can exist without being signified in any way. If characters can exist trans-medially, independently of a particular form of signification or sign-vehicle, why not exist without any signification at all? What kind of existence would such a character have? And, paradoxically, what would examples look like? While the question at face value might appear logically invalid, I argue that at (or just beyond) the minimalist end of the character-representational spectrum, we find what might be called implied characters , that is, characters that are not in any way given, represented, named, or performed, but can only exist in the minds of their players during play, as a formal slot without physical, structural, communicational, or mental properties.
- Subjects
LITERARY characters; MINIMALISM (Literature); NARRATOLOGY; VIDEO game characters; VIDEO gamers
- Publication
Narrative, 2022, Vol 30, Issue 3, p268
- ISSN
1063-3685
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1353/nar.2022.0016