Fictional Dialogue Research Articles

Dialogues with the Future: AI Socratic Exploration of Christopher Alexander’s 15 Foundational Properties for Life

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide novel insight into how complex lifeforms will evolve. Investigating the hypothesis that this evolution will follow the 15 fundamental properties listed in Christopher Alexander’s Nature of Order, this art project recruits AI to impersonate Socrates and domain experts to probe refutational and constructive elements as a means of facilitating meaningful discourse. The fictional dialogues and their core outcomes are transferred into AI generative visual representations. The project concludes with a synthesis of the insights gained from the exploration, providing a narrative about the Nature of Order as a vision of augmented wisdom.

A narrative approach exploring the phenomenon of Pretendians in the contemporary university

This essay uses a fictional narrative to explore the phenomenon of Pretendians in the contemporary university. Summer, who is one of the protagonists in the fictional dialogue, self-identifies as Indigenous, and is hired as an academic based on this identity, and according to affirmative action policies. Whilst working as an Indigenous academic for several years, suspicions are raised and accusations of pretending to be Indigenous are levelled at her. In each instance, she doubles-down and rejects the accusations until evidence is produced to prove that she was falsely and knowingly passing herself off as Indigenous. We critically discuss and analyse the fictional dialogue as part of our inquiry into Pretendianism, and argue that if an individual pretends to possess one or more protected attributes, and the individual knows that they do not possess said attributes, it is to perpetrate a grave injustice that goes beyond mere identity fraud. We conclude that Pretendian cases bring to our attention how contemporary university policies have the potential to be subverted in ways that are counter-productive to those individual and groups they sought to benefit, particularly if action is not taken to close policy loopholes.

Synthetic Methods in Fictional Dialogue in Arabic Poetry

Synthetic Methods in Fictional Dialogue in Arabic Poetry

Moral Facts Do Not Supervene on Non-moral Qualitative Facts

AbstractIt is very natural to think that if two people, x and y, are qualitatively identical and have committed qualitatively identical actions, then it cannot be the case that one has committed something wrong whereas the other did not. That is to say, if x and y differ in their moral status, then it must be because x and y are qualitatively different, and not simply because x is identical to x and not identical to y. In this fictional dialogue between Socrates and Cantor involving infinitely many qualitatively identical agents, this assumption is challenged.

СПОСОБЫ РЕПРЕЗЕНТАЦИИ НЕВЕРБАЛЬНЫХ КОМПОНЕНТОВ ОБЩЕНИЯ В ПОВЕСТИ А. П. ЧЕХОВА «СТЕПЬ»

The dialogical fragment of text is a part of prose fiction, where responses (characters’ speech) and remarks (author’s speech) represent the communication between characters. The characters’ dialogue may include the description of nonverbal components that make fictional dialogue closer to the natural one due to the constant presence of nonverbal components in the oral communication. In this article the ways of including the nonverbal components of characters' communication have been analyzed. The remarks accompanying the characters’ words may be placed in the different parts of dialogue according to the characters’ responds. The nonverbal components are more often included in the interpositive and postpositive remarks and are located after the verb with the meaning of the speaking process which is obligatory for the structure of the remark. The verbs, gerunds, verb and noun phrases represent the nonverbal components in the text. The remarks that accompany the characters’ speech of the dialogical fragments of text represent the characters’ emotional state and feelings (laughter, crying, wonder, joy, dryness, contempt). In the work the description of the nonverbal components that accompany the characters’ speech may be correlated with the author’s description of the character out of the communication. It contributes to the creation of the holistic artistic images. Key words: dialogical fragment of text, response, remark, nonverbal components, images of characters

The journey within: mental navigation as a novel framework for understanding psychotherapeutic transformation

BackgroundDespite the demonstrated efficacy of psychotherapy, the precise mechanisms that drive therapeutic transformations have posed a challenge and still remain unresolved. Here, we suggest a potential solution to this problem by introducing a framework based on the concept of mental navigation. It refers to our ability to navigate our cognitive space of thoughts, ideas, concepts, and memories, similar to how we navigate physical space. We start by analyzing the neural, cognitive, and experiential constituents intrinsic to mental navigation. Subsequently, we posit that the metaphoric spatial language we employ to articulate introspective experiences (e.g., “unexplored territory” or “going in circles”) serves as a robust marker of mental navigation.MethodsUsing large text corpora, we compared the utilization of spatial language between transcripts of psychotherapy sessions (≈ 12 M. words), casual everyday conversations (≈ 12 M. words), and fictional dialogues in movies (≈ 14 M. words). We also examined 110 psychotherapy transcripts qualitatively to discern patterns and dynamics associated with mental navigation.ResultsWe found a notable increase in the utilization of spatial metaphors during psychotherapy compared to casual everyday dialogues (U = 192.0, p = .001, d = 0.549) and fictional conversations (U = 211, p < .001, d = 0.792). In turn, analyzing the usage of non-spatial metaphors, we did not find significant differences between the three datasets (H = 0.682, p = 0.710). The qualitative analysis highlighted specific examples of mental navigation at play.ConclusionMental navigation might underlie the psychotherapy process and serve as a robust framework for understanding the transformative changes it brings about.

Activity versus Descriptivity: A Stylometric Analysis of Two English Translations of Hongloumeng

This study examined the translation style of David Hawkes and the Yangs (Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang) in their English translations of Hongloumeng, a Chinese Great Classic, by considering the hybrid register nature of fiction. The activity index, a measure from quanti-tative linguistics that calculates the ratio of verb occurrences to the sum of verb and adjec-tive occurrences, was used to analyze the active-descriptive equilibrium patterns across the two Hongloumeng translations and the two sub-registers of fiction. Our analysis is based on a corpus that separates fictional narration and dialogues from the first 80 chapters of the two Hongloumeng translations. The study found that, overall, dialogues tend to be more active than narration and Hawkes’ translation was characterized by a greater level of activity com-pared to the Yangs’ version. Subsequent analysis revealed that Hawkes' translation dis-played a higher level of activity in fictional dialogues while demonstrating a more descrip-tive approach in fictional narration. The results suggest that Hawkes’ translation adheres more closely to the typical stylistic conventions of fiction writing in English. The stylistic differences between the two translations of Hongloumeng are believed to be a result of a combination of factors, including the translators’ language and cultural backgrounds and their choice of translation strategies and approaches, which may have contributed to the var-iations in the final translated products.

Polemika medzi cisárom Hadriánom a filozofom Epiktétom

The work, Dialogue between the Emperor Hadrian and Epictetus the Philosopher, is a fictional dialogue consisting of seventy-three questions and answers, probably written in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. It features the Roman emperor Hadrian as the questioning pupil and the Stoic philosopher Epictetus as the responding teacher. Most of the questions can be divided into two main categories. The smaller part is written in the form of riddles. The others are definitions. The questions deal with a variety of topics: things to do with death (e.g. gravedigger, funeral pyre), definitions of various metals (gold, silver, iron), useful things (e.g. letter, picture, sword), relationships and emotional terms (e.g. friendship, hope, love), celestial objects (sun, moon, sky, stars, earth), and realities related to seafaring (sea, ship, sailor), nightlife (sleep, night, pillow) or religion (god, sacrifice). This work was particularly influential in the development of medieval dialogue. The most famous adaptation is the Enfant Sage, which originated in the 13th century somewhere in the region of Provence.

Tarantino’s eloquent villains

Abstract Suspense as an aesthetic effect is a key narrative strategy of thriller movies, serving the function of entertainment for wide audiences. As the plot unfolds, arcs of suspense rely on triggering an appealing sense of anticipation that calls for a resolution. The present study examines the creation of suspense throughout fictional dialogue in Quentin Tarantino’s popular feature films Pulp Fiction (1994), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Django Unchained (2012). In these movies, dialogic interaction is often dominated by eloquent villains who skilfully flout the conversational maxims of Grice’s cooperative principle, thereby exercising verbal power over other interlocutors. As is demonstrated in a qualitative pragma-stylistic framework, the villains’ discursive strategies amount to stylistic deviation resulting in suspenseful implicatures. In particular, suspense is commonly caused by digressing from current topics, by giving too little information or too many details, by being insincere or ironic, and by making equivocal or redundant statements.

The Making of a Shakespeare Critic: Partial English Translations of Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre in the Long Nineteenth Century

ABSTRACT Wilhelm’s reflections in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (1794/95) significantly influenced the history of Hamlet criticism. The belief that Goethe used his protagonist to present his own analyses was both reflected in and reinforced by partial English translations of the German novel that appeared in British periodicals and anthologies throughout the long nineteenth century. Due to their usefulness for critical discussions, and for British publishers targeting new audiences, Wilhelm’s disquisitions were repeatedly extracted, adapted and remediated by translators and editors who exploited Goethe’s shifting reputation in nineteenth-century Britain. At their hands, pieces of fictional dialogue were reconfigured into autonomous pieces of critical commentary that served specific agendas in the target culture. Building on recent work on remediation, this article analyses both how parts of the novel underwent changes on the textual, paratextual, material and contextual levels, and why translations made them cross the fluid boundary between fiction and literary criticism.

The melody of Spanish dubbed dialogue

Abstract Dubbed speech has often been accused of sounding artificial and somewhat exaggerated, mainly because it features a type of melody that substantially differs from both spontaneous speech and domestic fictional dialogue. This paper explores the most significant vocal patterns that shape a recognisable melody in Castilian-Spanish dubbed dialogue in order to ascertain whether they really contribute to the artificiality of the target version or, on the contrary, help preserve the credibility of the film production and viewers’ cinematic illusion. The discussion reveals that dubbed speech is characterised by certain vocal features specific to this genre that, despite differing from the ones used in spontaneous speech and screen acting, appear to work effectively in dubbing and are generally tolerated by audiences. There seems to be room, however, for naturalising some of these patterns in an effort to achieve an acceptable balance between what conveys the impression of spontaneity and what sounds natural within the context of dubbing.

Lahey’den Hemsterhuis’a Gönderilen Mektubun Kopyası: Spinoza ile Diyalog

F. H. Jacobi’s letter to F. Hemsterhuis is one of the key documents of the so-called Spinoza controversy for many reasons. First, it contains a fictional dialogue between Spinoza and Jacobi where the latter provides a detailed analysis of what he takes to be a genuine content of Ethics. Second, it gives an overview of Jacobi’s reception of Hemsterhuis’ philosophy of immediacy which is usually overlooked and ignored. Jacobi’s position both in the letter and the dialogue boils down to three main points: 1/ unlike Hemsterhuis (and the whole generation Wolffian philosophers) Jacobi does not attribute too much importance to geometrical method of Spinozian metaphysics, his main concern lies rather in the absolute rationalism, grounded in the principle a nihilo nihil fit; 2/ against Spinoza (who represents the pinnacle of the rationalist philosophy), Jacobi defends the reality of final cause as the intelligent cause of the world and the possibility of human free will; 3/ instead of reason, he advocates the immediacy of belief based on the feeling which gives us the certitude of being and knowledge without requiring any rational justification.

The Pragmatics of Fiction: Literature, Stage and Screen Discourse

The Pragmatics of Fiction: Literature, Stage and Screen Discourse

Gender bias in video game dialogue.

Gender biases in fictional dialogue are well documented in many media. In film, television and books, female characters tend to talk less than male characters, talk to each other less than male characters talk to each other, and have a more limited range of things to say. Identifying these biases is an important step towards addressing them. However, there is a lack of solid data for video games, now one of the major mass media which has the ability to shape conceptions of gender and gender roles. We present the Video Game Dialogue Corpus, the first large-scale, consistently coded corpus of video game dialogue, which makes it possible for the first time to measure and monitor gender representation in video game dialogue. It demonstrates that there is half as much dialogue from female characters as from male characters. Some of this is due to a lack of female characters, but there are also biases in who female characters speak to, and what they say. We make suggestions for how game developers can avoid these biases to make more inclusive games.

Narrative, zombie academic leadership, and the contemporary university

ABSTRACT This essay uses a narrative – in this case a fictional dialogue – to explore how neoliberalism and managerialism is taken forward in unexpected ways in the contemporary university. In order to make sense of zombie academic leadership, I turn my attention to how it is cultivated in the academy by using the ‘case of J’, which is taken from MacIntyre’s work titled, ‘Social structure and their threats to moral agency’. Indeed, the ‘case of J’ is used as a valuable resource for understanding how certain social structures cultivate zombie academic leaders through the phenomenon of compartmentalisation. This is then followed by a critical discussion and analysis of the fictional dialogue on zombie academic leadership. I argue that the zombie metaphor is an apt articulation of zombie academic leaders because they lack the capacity to exercise their powers of rational agency beyond what a particular role requires. I finish by briefly considering whether reform is possible or not in the contemporary university.

Fictional Dialogue with the Dead. A Comparative Analysis and Theological Reflection

Fictional Dialogue with the Dead. A Comparative Analysis and Theological Reflection

Materiality in John Ruskin's Early Letters and Dialogues

Between 1827 and 1829, John Ruskin underwent a rite of passage to being admitted as a participant in his parents’ personal correspondence. Simultaneously, in his juvenilia, he composed dialogues between children and parents in imitation of conversations in Aikin and Barbauld’s Evenings at Home and in Maria Edgeworth’s Frank: A Sequel and Harry and Lucy Concluded. This article investigates how Ruskin’s management of fictional dialogues under his control intersected with his participation in family letters, which was managed by his parents, particularly his mother, Margaret Ruskin. She discouraged his preoccupation with the materiality of letter writing since, in her view, the purpose of family letters lay in sincere confession of feeling. At the same time, anxious that he uphold a respectful epistolary relationship with his father, Margaret consulted letter-writing manuals for rules to manage John’s epistolary rhetoric as well as material presentation. Ruskin subverted these constraints in his invented parent-child dialogues, by reversing or deflecting Barbauld’s and Edgeworth’ lessons of self-control and humility. Thus, Ruskin staked a place in his parents’ correspondence on his own terms, persisting in fashioning a distinctly material emphasis in his epistolary bond with his father.

The Second Person in Dialogue

I first present a conception of the relata involved in the dialogic relation. I and thou are persons endowed with a first-person perspective and concepts through which they can represent themselves as distinct of anyone or anything else. Then I briefly discuss the epistemology and metaphysics of persons as agents. I adopt a realist view against any epistemological projects denying (or feigning to deny) the existence of the second person. Then I expose the complementary view of the secondperson perspective, which close the gap between the first- and third-person perspectives. I expose some historical milestones recognizing the importance of the second-person perspective in dialogue. After an examination of the conditions for the use of mental terms, I propose an analysis of dialogue in sequences of illocutionary acts, stressing the importance of perlocutionary plans. Any dialogue worthy of the name involves mutual understanding. In my reconstruction, I use distinctions proposed by Burge, Dummett and Austin. There are degrees of understanding in dialogue. In the highest degree, we have a real “meeting of minds.” Finally, a genuine dialogue is different from a fictional dialogue. I also suggest, taking side with Descartes, that the interaction man-machine cannot be classified as genuine dialogue.

Translation of Discourse Marker Okay from the Perspective of Adaptation Theory

Films are mainly comprised of dialogues in which discourse markers are commonly used to structure the interaction. The use of discourse markers in fabricated text can increase the naturalness of language. In order to recreate the naturalness and orality of the fictional dialogues, due attention should be paid to the translation of discourse markers. This paper takes the discourse marker Okay as an example and gives an analysis of the translation of the discourse marker Okay from the four angels of Adaptation Theory, including contextual correlates of adaptability, structural objects of adaptability, the dynamics of adaptability and the salience of the adaptation processes. Based on the analysis of the translation of Okay, it can be seen that in the process of choice-making, the translator makes dynamic adaptation with different degrees of salience to both the context and the structure so as to make appropriate choices and achieve successful language communication.

Unveiling the Perpetrator’s Gaze in Pedro Lemebel’s Novel Tengo miedo torero

In the last decades, there has been a gradual shift in memory studies to approach traumatic events from the perpetrator’s view, rather than the victim’s. While this has been possible in some contexts – such as that of World War II – due to the availability of incriminatory material, it has been unfeasible in others because of its inexistence. In Chile, for example, the testimony of the dictatorship’s top authority Augusto Pinochet is unavailable because of his denial to accept responsibility in the country’s genocide, an aspect that has hindered victims from understanding his criminal motivations. When such is the case, we argue that fictional narratives may become a suitable way to recreate unknown events and thus facilitate a more coherent narrative of the past. We aim to demonstrate this by analysing the articulation of fictional dialogues uttered by Pinochet in the novel Tengo miedo torero (2001) by Chilean writer Pedro Lemebel.