Slovenska Literatura (Nov 2011)
Literary criticism as RPG
Abstract
The study is a part of a more extensive work which deals with seeing literature as a competetive game and individual communication strategies used by the participants of the game, that is literature experts. From this point of view the role of a literary critic (a review writer) - beside those of a theoretician and a historian - appears to be one of the fundamental and constitutional roles. The study metaphorically compares the role to those taken on by RPG characters. That is simulation strategies where the players adopt chosen identities including certain possibilities and abilities, tasks and goals, and where playing the game consists of exploring a certain, at first unknown or completely covered, space and successfully or unsuccessfully seizing, controlling and subjugating the space. According to the author of this study, a critic within literary life similarly fulfils tasks, collects points and only has a relative freedom to choose their way, tasks as well as goals. Therefore the author characterizes and classifies various decisions the critics have to make while performing their roles in the game, the conditions under which they choose their tasks, as well as the methods they use to support their opinions and attitudes. Their natural goal is to reach such a position in a particular literary community they could influence through their reviews the assessing views of individual works of art as well as general issues of literary and social life and its current state. Apart from reasoning as an important element of literary criticism´s game strategies the author also finds it important for critics to try to appeal to potential readers emotionally, to draw their attention - in an adequate and well-timed manner - in the areas beyond reason such as impressions, feelings and affinities.
