Although there has always been a hermeneutic problem in Christianity, the hermeneutic question today seems to us a new one.
Paul RicoeurRead
The narrative constructs the identity of the character, what can be called his or her narrative identity, in constructing that of the story told. It is the identity of the story that makes the identity of the character.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The identity of a character in a story is shaped by the narrative, which also reflects the identity of the story itself.
This quote by Paul Ricoeur emphasizes the interdependent relationship between a character's identity and the narrative in which they exist. The character's identity is not only a product of their experiences and actions but is intricately linked to the overarching story that frames these elements, suggesting that understanding a character requires an understanding of the narrative context that defines them.
Themes
NarrativeIdentityCharacterStoryPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about character development in literature, this quote can help illustrate the connection between narrative and identity.
More from Paul Ricoeur
All quotes →If it is true that there is always more than one way of construing a text, it is not true that all interpretations are equal.
Paul RicoeurRead
But myth is something else than an explanation of the world, of history, and of destiny. Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence. Hence to demythologize is to interpret myth, that is, to relate the objective representations of the myth to the self-understanding which is both shown and concealed in it.
Paul RicoeurRead
On a cosmic scale, our life is insignificant, yet this brief period when we appear in the world is the time in which all meaningful questions arise.
Paul RicoeurRead
Testimony demands to be interpreted because of the dialectic of meaning and event that traverses it.
Paul RicoeurRead
Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence.
Paul RicoeurRead
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