Kairosis is the

literary Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

effect of fulfillment in

time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

. This effect is normally associated with the

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

of literature, and can be understood by the analogy "as ''

catharsis Catharsis (from Greek , , meaning "purification" or "cleansing" or "clarification") is the purification and purgation of emotions through dramatic art, or it may be any extreme emotional state that results in renewal and restoration. In its lite ...

'' is to the

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

tic, so ''

kenosis In Christian theology, ''kenosis'' () is the 'self-emptying' of Jesus. The word () is used in Philippians 2:7: " made himself nothing" (NIV), or " eemptied himself" (NRSV), using the verb form (), meaning "to empty". The exact meaning varies ...

'' is to the lyric, so ''kairosis'' is to the epic/novel." It is derived from

Frank Kermode Sir John Frank Kermode, FBA (29 November 1919 – 17 August 2010) was a British literary critic best known for his 1967 work '' The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction'' and for his extensive book-reviewing and editing. He was ...

's usage of ''kairos'' in literary aesthetics, and is part of an ongoing debate within literary aesthetics about the limitations of the rhetorical use of the term kairos. Kairosis is the feeling of integration experienced by the reader of the novel or epic form; it is experienced by the reader as the central protagonist's character and characterisation faces crisis and resolves itself into an explored and integrated personality. This typically occurs by challenging unique and interesting characters with typical and stereotyped actions that are generally applicable to all people. In the novel ''

Emma Emma may refer to: * Emma (given name) Film * Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown * Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow * Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...

'', kairosis is developed when an individualistic young woman attempts to play matchmaker to the world. As her personality is challenged by the stereotypical activity of courtship and matchmaking in a young woman's life, she experiences a crisis in her character as contradictions within her personality become increasingly antagonistic. When Emma integrates these conflicts, by performing the stereotyped action of completing a successful match, the reader experiences kairosis as Emma's character reaches a moment of synthesis that embodies the previous dialectical contradictions. Emma's problem was not to gain a social status of marriage: we are always aware that she will be married by the end of the novel and there is no catharsis experienced as an unexpected climactic action. Rather, we do not know if Emma is worth marrying. This kind of moral-psychological question is at the heart of Austen's work, and the modern novel. Kairosis is experienced by the reader of the modern novel when the character reaches a moment of psychological integration in time. Kairosis has been used as part of an attempt in

role playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal a ...

(rpg) theory to grapple with the issue of

immersion Immersion may refer to: The arts * "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard * ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux * ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian group Pendulum * ''Immersion'' (film), a 2021 ...

.Amagi games. "What I like glossary." June 2008
Post
.

References

{{reflist Literary concepts

See also

References