Theory of mind is the capacity to understand the behaviour of others by attributing to them mental and emotional processes. When we read works of fiction this cognitive ability comes into play because we form mental representations of the characters, attributing them with feelings, thoughts, motivations, and fears. The construction of these mental models is an inductive process by which the reader ‘fills in the blank spaces’ according to his/her subjectivity. In performing this interpretive work we decode symbols that gain meaning only in the context of the mental model that the reader builds around the character. In fantasy, symbols encourage a more interpretative reading, erase the illusion of the uniqueness of reality, and can promote a critical vision of human and social multiplicity. This article analyses two fantasy novels (Michelle Paver's Wolf Brother and Cristina Brambilla's Al primo sangue) which, through a symbolic approach, deal with two of the most frightening fears connected to growing up. The aim is to demonstrate how, under the veil of metaphorical language, these novels represent the complexity of the human mind and show the interior dynamics of characters when they face fears deeply connected with adolescence.
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Roberta Silva (2013) studied this question.
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