Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers

This paper suggests that Richard Powers’ Galatea 2.2 may be construed as an up-dated version of Ovid’s “Pygmalion” insofar as it no longer pauses the question of artifice in terms of imitation but in terms of simulation. As opposed to simple imitation – whose artifice keeps the observer out of repre...

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Main Author: Jean-Yves Pellegrin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre de Recherche "Texte et Critique de Texte" 2009-12-01
Series:Sillages Critiques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/sillagescritiques/1952
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author Jean-Yves Pellegrin
author_facet Jean-Yves Pellegrin
author_sort Jean-Yves Pellegrin
collection DOAJ
description This paper suggests that Richard Powers’ Galatea 2.2 may be construed as an up-dated version of Ovid’s “Pygmalion” insofar as it no longer pauses the question of artifice in terms of imitation but in terms of simulation. As opposed to simple imitation – whose artifice keeps the observer out of representation – complex simulation places the observer inside representation and makes him an active participant in it, thus duplicating the dialogue in which the self and the world are involved. This interactive feed-back loop, which simulates our sense of being caught in the ecosystem of the world, is not only the subject matter of the novel, it is also the active principle of the text. Drawing the reader into its simulation, the text prompts him to interact with it and to feel caught in its web. This experience introduces the reader to Powers’ original approach to the potency and function of representation.
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language English
publishDate 2009-12-01
publisher Centre de Recherche "Texte et Critique de Texte"
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spelling doaj-art-829dd0e2b73447809627a464ed83fbf02025-01-30T13:48:20ZengCentre de Recherche "Texte et Critique de Texte"Sillages Critiques1272-38191969-63022009-12-011010.4000/sillagescritiques.1952Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard PowersJean-Yves PellegrinThis paper suggests that Richard Powers’ Galatea 2.2 may be construed as an up-dated version of Ovid’s “Pygmalion” insofar as it no longer pauses the question of artifice in terms of imitation but in terms of simulation. As opposed to simple imitation – whose artifice keeps the observer out of representation – complex simulation places the observer inside representation and makes him an active participant in it, thus duplicating the dialogue in which the self and the world are involved. This interactive feed-back loop, which simulates our sense of being caught in the ecosystem of the world, is not only the subject matter of the novel, it is also the active principle of the text. Drawing the reader into its simulation, the text prompts him to interact with it and to feel caught in its web. This experience introduces the reader to Powers’ original approach to the potency and function of representation.https://journals.openedition.org/sillagescritiques/1952RepresentationimitationsimulationinteractionA.M. TuringPygmalion
spellingShingle Jean-Yves Pellegrin
Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
Sillages Critiques
Representation
imitation
simulation
interaction
A.M. Turing
Pygmalion
title Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
title_full Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
title_fullStr Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
title_full_unstemmed Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
title_short Du simulacre à la simulation : la vérité de l’artifice dans Galatea 2.2 de Richard Powers
title_sort du simulacre a la simulation la verite de l artifice dans galatea 2 2 de richard powers
topic Representation
imitation
simulation
interaction
A.M. Turing
Pygmalion
url https://journals.openedition.org/sillagescritiques/1952
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