Intertextual frames: features and types of intertextual frames (on the material of fictional texts)

Bozorova Dilshoda Tulkin kizi ORCID: 0000-0003-1109-9600 Postgraduate student; Institute of Foreign Languages; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia 1042225297@pfur.ru

Introduction

The discussion of the interrelationship of texts brought the concept of the relationship between "writer, text and reader" to a new level of understanding. The process of this three-way chain of interconnections has given rise to many approaches and new perspectives. In particular, it can be noted that the process of perception of intertextuality is combined with pragmatic conditions ^{[4, p. 61]}, or is associated with acts of metatropy consisting of special "bunches" ^{[8, p. 54]}. The term "metatrope", introduced by Yu. M. Lotman ^{[5, p. 59]}, is a kind of strategy for the perception of interrelated texts, and such structures have been expressed by different researchers under different names: "frame", "scheme", "scenario", "global model", "pseudotext", "cognitive model", "the foundation", "the scene", etc. ^{[9, p. 54]}. They differ in typology and differ from each other in the conclusions drawn on their basis. However, it can be stated that intertextual frames are one of the structures that best express intertextuality. However, it can be noted that the number of studies devoted to this topic is insufficient. For example, only the following can be presented as recent studies: the study of intertextual frames in media discourse, where proper names and their derivatives serve as intertextual markers, ^[18] or, the analysis of intertextuality and its translation in the context of frame semantics ^[22]. In the light of the above, this study of the characteristics and components of intertextual frames can be considered relevant. Moreover, it can be included in the existing body of literature on this topic. However, it is important to note that this study has distinctive features. So, unlike the traditional approach to frame analysis, it uses a comparative methodology to study intertextual frames from native and non-native speakers. The following section provides a brief theoretical analysis of the topic, after which the practical aspects of the study are considered.

Methodology

The activation of intertextual knowledge is associated with the formation of intertextual frames ^{[16, p. 77]}. U. Eco was a pioneer in using the term "intertextual frames", pointing out that no text is read regardless of the reader's perception of other texts ^{[10, p. 21]}. Clarifying the difference between general frames and intertextual ones, he connects the latter with already literary "toposes", narrative schemes ^{[17, 19, 20]}, whereas the former are formed in the reader's mind through the accumulation of encyclopedic knowledge and mainly the rules of practical life ^{[1, 15]}. Similarly, he equates genre conventions with schematized knowledge, arguing that intertextual frames are more reduced than ordinary ones. In addition, he neglects to consider alternative potential connections that could arise as a result of a more thorough and linguistically accurate study of a literary text. In light of the fact that the latter case is considered more significant, M. E. Panagiotidou uses this term in a different manner. For her, this term means creating an online domain in which text data converges with intertextual knowledge, thereby forming a synthesis. Her point of view is based on the theory of conceptual mixing put forward by G. Fauconnier and M. Turner ^{[12, p. 40]}. Therefore, we will focus on this theory first. The analysis of this process becomes more understandable if it is presented in the form of an image (Fig. 1). In their model of the conceptual network, G. Fauconnier and M. Turner ^{[12, pp. 46-48]} represent mental spaces in the form of circles, elements inside these spaces in the form of dots, and connections between elements in different spaces in in the form of lines. Circles and dots represent neural and cognitive processes, and lines symbolize co-activation connections. Solid lines represent the connections that are formed as a result of coincidence. Mental spaces are formed in real time based on frames, which can be defined as long-term conceptual knowledge. The connections between the elements can be of different types: identical, metaphorical and analog. In conceptual mixing, the input spaces provide the information available to us, and the mixing space is our interpretation of this information at a certain point in time. The elements that correlate in different input spaces are represented by dots, and the emergent structure, which is not present in the input spaces, is represented by small circles in the mixing space. An emergent structure arises as a result of projections based on frames, scenarios, and elaboration. A shared space is a mental space that includes elements common to different input spaces.

Figure 1. Basic diagram of the conceptual mixing network

In fact, conceptual mixing implies the structural projection of disparate input spaces into a new mental space, referred to as a "mixed space". The input spaces symbolize the information at our disposal, and the term "mixing" includes our interpretation of this information in the light of our current understanding. In order for conceptual mixing to become a reality, it is necessary to have at least two input spaces. And now, before returning to the concept of intertextual frames, it is necessary to consider another term that underlies the views of M. E. Panagiotidou. This is the term "domain", introduced by R. V. Langaker ^{[14, pp. 148-149]}, which is used to denote the context characterizing a semantic unit. Domains are conceptualized as mental experiences, representative spaces, concepts, or conceptual complexes. For example, the lexical concepts of "cold", "hot" and "warm", expressed in the temperature domain, depend on the understanding of the temperature system. Without such an understanding, the meaning of these words cannot be fully understood. If we revise the above definition, then intertextual frames mean the creation of an online domain in which text data converges with intertextual knowledge, forming a synthesis. In other words, according to the theory of conceptual mixing, intertextual frames include two different types of information in the input spaces. One input space contains information related to the text, and the other contains the reader's intertextual knowledge, which may be associated with certain lexical units or stylistic elements of the literary text. These two spaces are combined into a mixed space, which is called an intertextual frame. This mixed space includes textual and intertextual information, and the interaction between these two types of information affects the reader's experience. To better understand the process of activation of intertextual frames, it is instructive to consider the following example from O. Mandelstam's poem "Ants" (1924).

Ants

Ants do not need to be touched:
The third day in the middle of the woods
Everyone is walking, they can't pass
Ten thousand ants.

As a real porter
With his family's chest,
The blackest and shiniest,
The strongest is the ant!

Real train stations —
Anthills in the forest:
Into corridors, doors, halls
Ants are carrying luggage!

The strongest, the most persistent,
The ant has already arrived
To a wonderful building
Forty-eight floors high.

In this poem, an intertextual frame is probably created when the reader encounters the lexical unit 'ant'. The reader can recall previous encounters with this lexical unit in other literary texts, based on his knowledge. For the purposes of this discussion, we assume that I. Krylov's fable "The Dragonfly and the Ant", first published in 1808, is activated. As a result, a frame is formed consisting of two input spaces: firstly, textual information about the Mandelstam ant, and secondly, the reader's knowledge about the activated poem. The creation of an intertextual frame can have a significant impact on the reader's experience, as a particular reader can recall their knowledge of ant signs and. Krylova. These signs can be projected onto the Mandelstam creature, thereby influencing the reader's perception of the industrious insect. Moreover, the intertextual frame can remain activated and influence the interpretation of other elements of the text until the end of O. Mandelstam's poem. However, it should be noted that M. E. Panagiotidou is not the first to put forward this theory. ^[11]. Given that her research is based on the typology of intertextual frames and their defining features, they will be examined in detail.

Types of intertextual frames

Before considering the types of intertextual frames, it is advisable to discuss the concept of intertextual knowledge, which serves as the basis for their formation. If background knowledge is defined as a repository of information or knowledge on a particular topic acquired as a result of life experience, then intertextual knowledge can be considered as a special form of knowledge that a person possesses as a result of interaction with literary texts. This knowledge is mobilized mainly in the process of reading a literary work, but it can also arise in other contexts when references are made to literary texts or objects. Two categories of intertextual knowledge are distinguished: thematic and stylistic ^{[16, p. 71]}. The thematic category is also divided into two subcategories: thematic (topical) and semantic (semantic). Semantic intertextual knowledge includes memorization of lexical elements, the central idea or theme of literary works. It is especially important for concise forms of texts, including poems. Thematic intertextual knowledge contains information about literary works in general, including characters, their relationships, actions, place and time. For example, a reader who has read the "Little Prince" can remember the characters: The Little Prince, his rose, the narrator, the fox, as well as various indifferent and selfish adults. In addition, the Sahara Desert is where the events take place. Stylistic intertextual knowledge refers to a schematic understanding and includes formulaic expressions and phrases such as "to be or not to be", "blessed is he who has not drunk to the bottom", etc. All these types of intertextual knowledge help the reader to understand and perceive literary works. According to the classification of intertextual knowledge, three main categories of intertextual frames are distinguished: semantic, thematic and stylistic intertextual frames. The formation of semantic intertextual frames depends on the recognition of specific linguistic elements, such as verbs or nouns, in the context of literary works. These words are perceived not only as triggers of intertextual meaning, but also as carriers of their own intertextual meaning (for example, the poem "Ants"). In contrast, thematic intertextual frames are constructed by highlighting several semantic frames. These frames are more complex and can include extensive information such as places, events, and characters associated with specific texts. Stylistic intertextual frames arise when readers discover formulaic phrases or genre similarities in literary texts.

It should be noted that intertextual frames are important because they activate the literary text and the accumulated knowledge of the reader. According to M. E. Panagiotidou, they are like a repository of knowledge and are activated when reading literary works. Thus, depending on the type of intertextual frame, it can contain information from simple to complex. In addition, intertextual frames can be useful for understanding and interpreting text, as well as influencing the reader's experience.

Features of intertextual frames

The concept of intertextual frames related to cognitive processes is characterized by two key features: two-dimensionality and texture ^{[16, p. 83]}. Their two-dimensionality is natural, as it arises from a combination of intertextual knowledge based on pre-existing reader experience, on the one hand, and static, unchanging text space, on the other. As mentioned earlier, intertextual knowledge differs from general knowledge. It is formed under the influence of many factors, including education, personal preferences and training. Despite the immutability of the main content of the text, the reader can focus on specific words and phrases due to his intertextual knowledge of the text. Nevertheless, the activation and application of intertextual knowledge in a particular text depends on the active participation of the reader in the reading process.

In contrast to the hypotheses put forward by other scientists ^{[13, 21]}, the term "texture" is used in M. E. Panagiotidou's research as a means of characterizing the quality of an activated frame. This is achieved by studying the effect of activation on the reading process and related features. It also defines four texture criteria. These are criteria of textuality, specificity, resonance and detail that serve to describe the quality of frames. The first two criteria are based on the text as a whole, and the next two are generated by the reader (Fig. 2). Similarly, the reader's personal experience, linking the amount of intertextual knowledge with a textual event, regulates its duration. One binary composition, considered as a necessary condition for the elements of the text, and the other – the criteria that make up the network of cognitive mechanisms of the reader, more clearly represent the two-dimensional nature of the integrated information of intertextual frames.

In addition, textuality is divided into strong and weak types, which determines whether the reader's influence on the activation of intertextual knowledge is significant or whether this situation is based on the entire text. If the text is recognizable and understandable to the reader and has a clear sense of familiarity, it embodies strong textuality. On the other hand, if the text is undefined and creates a feeling of vague familiarity, this represents weak textuality.

Texture is also interconnected with the second criterion, which, depending on its types, forms a certain and indefinite specificity. In other words, the texture determines the duration of the intertextual frame. That is, whether the new intertextual connection has a lasting effect on the reading impression or whether it fades quickly after establishment. Another important criterion is resonance, which affects the reader's involvement in the text. Moreover, granularity refers to the scope and detail of basic knowledge. If there is an unclear similarity with the current text through a word or phrase, then the detail index is low, and if on the contrary, then the detail can be assessed as high. The opposite qualities of the criteria can be combined into two integral groups: "precise" ("fine") and "weak" ("faint"). They are illustrated in the following graph (Fig. 2). On one side of the texture, "accurate" is expressed by strong attributes, on the other, "weak" is expressed by opposite attributes.

Figure 2. Precise and weak intertextual texture

Discussion and results of the work

The activation of intertextual frames depends on the reader, which limits the creation of patterns. Despite the presence of common basic information, the methodology used to study this cognitive process is variable. Similarly, the intertextual frame manifests itself in different forms when read by different people.

If you carefully read S. A. Yesenin's poem "Letter to my Sister", you can find intertextual references to other poets and even a specific line from one of the most famous works. According to M. E. Panagiotidou's interpretation, this corresponds to the third type of intertextual frames – stylistic. This is due to the fact that a well-known expression is quoted in the poem:

I feel sorry for you.
You'll be alone,
And I'm ready to walk
Even before the duel.
"Blessed is he who has not drunk to the bottom"
And he did not finish listening to the voice of the pipe.

In addition, the reader may perceive an incentive impulse coming from some of the units represented in the opening line of the poem:

Our Alexander wrote about Delvig,
About the skull he caressed
Lines.

Mentioning the names Alexander and Delvig in this line is likely to activate the intertextual frame. Suppose that the poem "To Delig", written by A. S. Pushkin in 1815, is activated. In other words, lexical expressions from S. A. Yesenin's poem are integrated into one input space, and the activated poem into another. Moreover, the second and third lines of the poem also serve to characterize this activated poem. In general, this is a poem written in response to the poem "To A. S. Pushkin", written in 1814 by A. Delvig, a contemporary of A. S. Pushkin. It is noteworthy that both poets in poems dedicated to each other refer to mythological figures that serve as intertextual markers. These include, in particular, Cypris, Phoebe, Bacchus, Styx, Apollo, Libera, Cronus, Eros and other mythological and historical names. In addition, the poems of both poets pay special attention to the mythological figure of Phoebe. In the course of the poem, the reader becomes aware of the poet's personal history, including memories of childhood and emotions associated with it. Then the poet turns to A. S. Pushkin again, this time "Sasha". He quotes a line of poetry from the famous work of A. S. Pushkin. This prompts the reader to recall another work by A. S. Pushkin. The term "duel" is also introduced. This concept is directly related to the life experience of A. S. Pushkin. At the end of the poem, he returns to the garden, which is described as sunny. When reading this poem, the reader can use not only one intertextual frame, but also several intertextual chains. (Fig. 3). The presence of several input spaces and activated poems allows the reader to look at the subject from different points of view, including an understanding of the life and poetic path of S. A. Yesenin, as well as broader discussions about poetic life in general.

Figure 3. Intertextual frame analysis of the poem "Letter to my sister" by S. A. Yesenin

However, we are also interested in another aspect, namely: the process by which a reader who speaks a certain language reads and perceives a text in his native language may differ from the process of reading and perceiving a reader who knows this language, but for whom it is a foreign one. Consequently, intertextual frames in these two cases can manifest themselves in completely different forms. Unlike other studies in this field, this study also examines the intertextual knowledge of readers for whom the language is not their native language. The purpose of posing this question in this study is to identify common elements that cause activation of intertextual frames. In the previous section, we discussed the qualities that evaluate activated intertextual frames. The most important aspect of this study is the characteristics that directly affect the formation of intertextual frames. This phenomenon is highlighted in the following examples.

It is worth noting that the above-mentioned chain of intertextual knowledge is likely to be activated when reading this poem by readers familiar with the language of A. S. Pushkin. However, it is also appropriate to consider how this will affect the reader if he reads the Uzbek translation of the poem:

Yolg’iz qolarsan.
Men esam tayyorman
Duelga, hatto.
«Baxtlidir jomini ichib bo’lmagan»
Va tinglab bo'lmagan naydan ham navo (Translated by the Uzbek poet E. Vakhidova).

In this case, the interpretation of the poem largely depends on the reader's acquaintance with this literary work. In the second case, it can be assumed that no literary work is activated through the names Alexander and Delvig. It is possible that an intertextual frame may arise from an excerpt from the work of A. S. Pushkin. However, the peculiarities of S. A. Yesenin's work reduce the likelihood that the intertextual frame will be activated, as shown in Figure 3, through the reader's poem read in Uzbek. However, another feature should be taken into account: if the reader does not have sufficient information (that is, he is familiar with the poet, but is not familiar with his work) or there is a vague acquaintance, then referring to the poet's work through this verse allows him to get the necessary information or continue reading the text with this uncertainty.

As an additional illustration, unlike M. E. Panagiotidou, we focused on discussing the process of intertextual frames in prose works. So, when reading N. Egamov's story "Please draw me a little lamb..." Or the 880 001 letter to the Little Prince,"certain intertextual connections may arise due to its name even before reading the story. After reading the title, the reader can immediately recall the "Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. However, we will not elaborate on the analysis of these intertextual connections, since this process was discussed in detail in our previous study. At the moment, it is important that the first story read in any language evokes the next mentioned novel in memory and can form a thematic type of intertextual frames. In this regard, the question arises whether the formation of an intertextual frame depends primarily on the reader's intertextual knowledge or on the text itself. It can be argued that familiarity with the text is also related to the reader's intertextual knowledge. However, "The Little Prince" is a work that, according to Y. N. Karaulov, can be called a precedent text that is known and familiar to a wide range of predecessors or contemporaries ^{[2, p. 216]}. In the modern sense, the term "precedent" can be expressed as a desire to enhance expressiveness, informativeness and attractiveness ^[6]. This manifests itself in the form of precedent names, statements and situations disseminated in various media ^[3]. In addition, it is associated with the concept of "attribution" as the main component of an intertextual unit ^[7]. It can be reasonably concluded that the formation of an intertextual connection depends on the characteristics of the text under consideration. Factors such as whether the text refers to a well-known work or vice versa, whether the link is explicit or hidden, and so on play a significant role in this. To the texture, which is one of the features of intertextual frames and is mentioned above, such criteria as precedent, expressiveness and incoherence can be added. These are indicators that can serve as a basis for activating the frame. However, the four texture qualities proposed by M. E. Panagiotidou are characteristics of the quality of the activated frame. If the text refers to a novel with the quality of precedent mentioned above, then it can be said that it has the quality of precedent; conversely, if not, then it can be concluded that it does not have this quality. In addition, several forms of expression can be distinguished: explicit, implicit and hooked. If the text explicitly says something, for example, quotes specific passages from the text or well-known phrases (such as those mentioned above), then it can be considered an explicit representation. Conversely, if the text does not explicitly say anything, then it can be considered a hidden representation. Moreover, if the text contains only a certain number of hooked sentences or signs, for example, the use of the names "Sasha" and "duel", then it can be attributed to the forms of hooked expressiveness. If the reader, based on his background knowledge, establishes certain intertextual connections that are not explicitly indicated or are not related to each other. For example, when analyzing a poem by S. A. Yesenin, the reader can identify mythological characters (in poems written by two poets to each other, and notice that both poets focus on Phoebe) that are not directly related to the work of S. A. Yesenin. Such connections can serve as an example of an extraterrestrial quality.

Conclusion

This study is devoted to intertextual frames, a relatively little-studied aspect of intertextuality. The purpose of the study was to get an idea of the various manifestations of frames through frame analysis of literary works. Based on the work of M. E. Panagiotidou, in this study a special methodology was proposed, including theoretical and practical elements, for the analysis of intertextual frames in S. A. Yesenin's poem "Letter to a Sister". A distinctive feature of this study was the consideration of intertextual frames between users of native and non-native languages. In addition, the study examined various qualities that contribute to the emergence of intertextual frames, which adds to its novelty. Overall, this study sought to shed light on intertextual frames and their characteristics, providing valuable insight into this little-studied area of intertextuality.