The Concept of Analogizing and Fictional Character as a Source of the Reader’s Fantasies

Abstract

This paper discusses the concept of “analogizing” introduced in Simon Lesser’s theory and applies it to understanding how a fictional character may
become the source of developing the reader’s fantasies. It argues that although Lesser employs the concept of analogizing to explicate different
unconscious processes taking place in reading fictional works, the concept can fit into a broader understanding of the reader’s imaginative processing
and stresses that the reader’s imaginative identification with the fictional character is an important part of her literary experience.
Keywords: Analogizing, fictional character, imaginative participation, stimulating fantasies.