fictionalthe

Fictionalthe is a term used in literary and narrative theory to describe a proposed framework for analyzing the status and function of fictitious entities and events within a text. It treats fiction not merely as storytelling but as a structured environment in which characters, places, and events are governed by internal rules and by reader interpretation. The term is a neologism that blends fiction with theory, and it has appeared in discussions as a provisional label rather than a fixed doctrine.

Core idea: Fictionalthe posits that readers attribute varying degrees of ontological status to elements within fiction based on narrative cues, authorial intent, and genre conventions. This assignment of pseudo-existence helps explain patterns of immersion, confirmation, and ethical engagement without claiming that such entities exist in the real world.

Applications: The framework is used in analyses of character plausibility, world-building, and diegetic coherence, as well as in studying adaptation, cross-media storytelling, and reader-response effects. It provides a lens for examining why audiences treat fictional agents as real within the scope of the story.

Relation to other theories: Fictionalthe intersects with discussions of fictional realism, ontology of fiction, and diegetic realism, alongside reader-response and narrative-encoding approaches. Critics argue that the concept overlaps with established ideas in philosophy of fiction and may be underdefined or redundant.

See also: Fictional realism, Ontology of fiction, Diegesis, Narratology.