Toward an embodied account of double-voiced discourse

What is it about?

Drawing from Paivio's (1986,1991,2007) dual coding theory and embodied theories of mind and consciousness, I argue that an understanding of the structure and function of imagery and affect can lead to a more comprehensive account of the addressivity that characterizes Bakhtin's double-voiced discourse. Using a literary illustrative example, I elaborate on the human capacity to access both verbal and non-verbal imagery in negotiating an intersubjective and socially shared existence.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This article makes an important interdisciplinary contribution to the fields of language, linguistics, and literature. Informed by theories of embodied cognition, phenomenology, and recent neurobiological accounts of mind and consciousness, the author provides a psychological accounting of mental processes fundamental to intersubjective and literary encounters.