Rethinking Mind Style and Related Foundational Concepts: A Theoretical Perspective

Khalil S. Alsayyid; Asst. Prof.Lanja A. Dabbagh

doi:10.31185/eduj.Vol61.Iss1.4194

Authors

Khalil S. Alsayyid College of Basic Education, University of Salahaddin, Erbil
Asst. Prof.Lanja A. Dabbagh College of Basic Education, University of Salahaddin, Erbil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31185/eduj.Vol61.Iss1.4194

Keywords:

mind style, world view, fiction, social minds, reading

Abstract

Human beings experience the world themselves but are more eager to learn how others experience and see it as well. Our social tendency and cognitive aptitude, in fact, naturally compel us to know what is going on in other people’s minds and reading fiction could fall into serving this end. The abundance of concurrent linguistic stylistic patterns consistently conveyed in a literary text will then provide readers to have a new perspective captured by the fictional mind; i.e. mind style will be forged. The aim of this paper is to investigate mind style as a core concept and trace back the key scholars who have laid its theoretical foundation. In doing so, other concepts closely linked to the notion will be compared and eventually scrutinised. A host of studies are highlighted underpinning the core principles and assumptions concerning mind style. This paper, therefore, maps out the full theoretical landscape of the notion to better understand the concept. Two of the most general conclusions arrived at are: the first one is both mind style and social minds touch upon the representation of cognitive viewpoints in literature. The second one concerns mind style to be essentially a particular expression of the broader narrative concept, ‘point of view’, which frames the way a story is conveyed.

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