Text world theory
A theoretical framework proposing that readers construct a mental 'text world' while reading, combining textual information with background knowledge and imagination to create a coherent fictional reality.
Real World
Reading Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go', readers must construct a text world partly from what is withheld — the dystopian reality of cloning is never stated outright, so each reader's inferences and anxieties shape a slightly different mental reality.
Exam Focus
Discuss how specific lexical cues prompt world-building and what background knowledge the reader must supply to construct coherent meaning.
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