On the Existence of Literary Characters: A View from Cognitive Narratology

Are literary characters as real as human beings? The mimetic quality of fictional characters has been debated in literary studies for decades, but theories in favor of their reality-imitating nature and those arguing that they are mere textual signs have never reconciled their differences. Using cognitive narratology as its theoretical framework, this article reevaluates both positions and proposes that whether readers perceive literary characters as real or artificial entities depends on their state of mind. It further argues that fictional characters can share, for at least some of the time, a cognitive space with real-world entities. This position elevates them, cognitively speaking, to the same level of existence in the readers’ mind. Through the exploration of these arguments, this article finds common ground between traditionally opposed mimetic and analytical theories, allowing both positions to coexist while also opening up the field for new lines of inquiry.