FiCT-O

Modelling Fictional Characters in Detective Fiction from the 19th to the 20th Century

Bibliographic Data

ID20249255
AuthorsEnrica Bruno (0009-0007-5620-3834, University of Bologna, corresponding author), Lorenzo Sabatino (0009-0007-1496-722X, University of Bologna, corresponding author), Francesca Tomasi (0000-0002-6631-8607, University of Bologna, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume14
Issue9
Pages180
Publication date2025-09-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHumanities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0787 • E-ISSN: 2076-0787
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/h14090180
OpenAlexW4413950952
LanguageEN
References cited33

This paper proposes a formal descriptive model for understanding the evolution of characters in detective fiction from the 19th to the 20th century, using methodologies and technologies from the Semantic Web. The integration of Digital Humanities within the theory of comparative literature opens new paths of study that allow for a digital approach to the understanding of intertextuality through close reading techniques and ontological modelling. In this research area, the variety of possible textual relationships, the levels of analysis required to classify these connections, and the inherently referential nature of certain literary genres demand a structured taxonomy. This taxonomy should account for stylistic elements, narrative structures, and cultural recursiveness that are unique to literary texts. The detective figure, central to modern literature, provides an ideal lens for examining narrative intertextuality across the 19th and 20th centuries. The analysis concentrates on character traits and narrative functions, addressing various methods of rewriting within the evolving cultural and creative context of authorship. Through a comparative examination of a representative sample of detective fiction from the period under scrutiny, the research identifies mechanisms of (meta)narrative recurrence, transformation, and reworking within the canon. The outcome is a formal model for describing narrative structures and techniques, with a specific focus on character development, aimed at uncovering patterns of continuity and variation in diegetic content over time and across different works, adaptable to analogous cases of traditional reworking and narrative fluidity

Aesthetics · Art · Detective fiction · Late 19th century · Literature · Digital Games and Media · Digital Humanities and Scholarship · Narrative Theory and Analysis

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