Possible Worlds, Frozen Realities: Constructing Fictional Space in Jack Frost | ||
| مجلة کلية الأداب - جامعة حلوان | ||
| Volume 61, Issue 2, July 2025, Pages 395-434 PDF (1.11 M) | ||
| Document Type: المقالة الأصلية | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/kgef.2025.401265.1267 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Fatma Ismail* 1; Sara Abuelenine2 | ||
| 1,Helwan University | ||
| 2French University in Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Children’s crossover fantasy fiction, i.e. literary texts written for children but equally appealing to adults, has increasingly been recognized as a site of sophisticated narrative strategies and thematic depth (Falconer, 2008). This study explores Joyce’s Jack Frost through a dual framework of cognitive stylistics (Semino & Culpeper, 2002; Stockwell, 2002) and Possible Worlds Theory (Ryan, 1991; Doležel, 1998), thus providing comprehensive, analysis that bridges linguistic theory and literary interpretation. Cognitive stylistics highlights the role of conceptual metaphor, deixis, schema activation, and conceptual blending, while Possible Worlds Theory accounts for accessibility relations, private worlds, and conflicts. The analysis of five extracts demonstrates that universal themes such as friendship, sacrifice, identity, and the struggle between good and evil are not treated as abstract concepts but are uniquely linguistically embodied through stylistic features that make them cognitively vivid to readers. In doing so, the study shows that Jack Frost’s unique contribution to the genre of crossover fantasy fiction relies on stylistic embodiment and linguistic immediacy, which transform universal motifs into text-specific experiences. The study argues that combining Possible Worlds Theory and cognitive stylistics provides a fuller account of crossover fantasy fiction, illustrating how Joyce’s Jack Frost achieves both structural richness and cognitive accessibility. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Cognitive Stylistics; Possible Worlds Theory; Conflict; Private Worlds; Narrative Points | ||
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