Fiction and Narrative
Fiction and Narrative
The Function of Symbolic Aesthetics
Humans also create stories and dramatic settings that deal with the theme of what it means to be human. Humans live in narratives, and narratives are everywhere. This chapter looks at why humans spend that much time and resources on telling each other stories and dramatizing common human experiences. Which themes do these narratives revolve around? Are there universal themes? And what function do these symbolic universes have for our development and survival as individuals and as a species? Moreover, how and why do artistic expressions, themes, and forms change over time? The chapter lists existential, cognitive, and social functionalities .
Keywords: drama, film, function of fiction, habituation, narrative, optimal stimulation level, OSL, symbol
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