The early modern latin discourse about fictionality
Final Report Abstract
This project on early modern Latin fictional discourse has contributed to closing a gap by analysing the theory of literary fiction in interaction with allegory in the period from about 1350 (from Petrarch [1304-1374] and Boccaccio [1313-1375]) to about 1450. The result is a detailed analysis in which the Latin texts form the main corpus, whereas the vernacular texts are only used to better understand the former and the discourse as a whole. The study contributes to the exploration of an essential aspect of literature and literary theory. Literary fiction has been the subject of much discussion since antiquity, not only with regard to the correct interpretation of fictional narratives, but also – on a theoretical level – with regard to the adequate understanding of fictionality itself. The historical dimension of this central component for literary narratives (and not only for literary narratives) has been researched far less than the synchronic concept of fiction. In order to counteract this imbalance, a work on early Italian humanism has now been published, which will hopefully lead to further research.
