Abstract
In this response to Richard Walsh’s target essay “Fictionality as Rhetoric: A Distinctive Research Paradigm”, I discuss his characterization of fictionality as “independence from directly informative kinds of relevance” (Walsh,“Fictionality as Rhetoric” 399). I use my current work on unruly fictionalized encounters in Sacha Baron Cohen’s film Borat, Mads Brügger’s documentary The Ambassador, and the Yes Men’s media hoaxes to ask: are all instances of fictionality independent of direct informative relevance? I end my response by suggesting potential next steps in the investigation of fictionality beyond fiction.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Style |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 483-489 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0039-4238 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Fictionality
- Borat
- The Yes Men
- The Ambassador
- Fiction
- Literary
- characterization
- Literary rhetoric
- Rhetorical invention
- Diplomats
- Paratext
- Hoaxes