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      Zugl.: Freiburg, Univ., Diss., 2018

      Cover illustration : © Zastolskiy Victor/Shutterstock.com

      D 25

      ISSN 0935-4093

      ISBN 978-3-631-81012-5 (Print)

      E-ISBN 978-3-631-81900-5 (E-PDF)

      E-ISBN 978-3-631-81901-2 (EPUB)

      E-ISBN 978-3-631-81902-9 (MOBI)

      DOI 10.3726/b16829

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      About the author

      The Author

      Golnaz Shams was born in Tehran. She holds a PhD in English literature. She taught English and German most of her life. Her research has been about Victorian literature and especially on theatre and drama. She is also interested in narratology, theatre studies, and literary theory. She used to stage plays in an amateur theatre group at the ÖKI (Österreichisches Kulturinstitut) in Tehran and also took some acting classes with the late renowned theatre director Hamid Samandarian.

      About the book

      Golnaz Shams

      Social Minds in Drama

      This study provides a new model for the construction of mentalities and intermental thought of characters in playscripts. It introduces a model that facilitates the analysis of the construction of consciousness, instances of collective thought, and the dynamics of group formation in late-Victorian drama. It can be placed within the framework of cognitive studies because cognitive studies are interested in examining the mental state and the relationship between minds involved in cognitive interaction in narratives. For a long time narrative studies have neglected drama as a genre and, even after the long overdue acceptance of plays in the family of narratives, most critics were eager to focus on performance rather than on playscripts. This book, introduces a model through which the analysis of playscripts will be rewarding and worthwhile.

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      For my mother, the strongest most loving person in my life

      Acknowledgements

      To my life-coach, my mother: because I owe it all to you. Many Thanks!

      I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my advisor Prof. Dr. Monika Fludernik. It has been an honour to be her Ph.D. student. I appreciate all her contributions of time, ideas, and funding to make my Ph.D. experience productive and stimulating. I would also like to express my warmest gratitude to my second reader Prof. Dr. Jan Alber. His support and motivation have been essential to this work.

      This thesis would not have come to a successful completion without the help I received from my teacher and friend Kian Soheil, who despite his busy schedule always had time to read and proofread my work, providing me with invaluable feedback, moral support and advice. I will forever be thankful.

      I especially thank Eva von Contzen, Kerstin Fest, Benjamin Kohlmann and Miriam Nandi to whom I have always looked up to and who have always shared their experience and expertise with me, and did not let me quit when it all felt hopeless.

      I am also very much indebted to all my friends who have supported me intellectually and morally, laughed and cried with me, and were always ready to lift my spirits with coffee and chocolate.

      Thanks for all your encouragement!

      Table of Contents

       Chapter 1 Introduction

       1.1 Topic and Major Questions

       1.2 (Intermentality and) Social Minds

       1.3 In What Way Does This Study Go beyond Previous Studies?

       1.4 Methodology and Approach

       1.5 My Corpus

       1.6 Structure of the Book

       Chapter 2 Theoretical Background

       2.1 From Classical Narratology to Postclassical and Cognitive Narrative Studies

       2.2 Alan Palmer’s Construction of Fictional Minds and Intermentality

       2.2.1 Palmer and His Work

       2.2.2 Palmer in the Context of Cognitivist Ideas

       2.2.3 Palmer’s Intermentality

       2.3 The Status of Drama within Narrative Studies

       Chapter 3 Character and Consciousness in Drama