Entropy Means Nothing to Me

Wynne-Jones identifies and holds up for inspection a form of over-arching metaphorical construction he labels "The Mind of Narrative." In this species of figurative language, an event or central image is seen to permeate a work of fiction, exerting a "gravitational tug" on the actions of the narrative. The author equates the mind of narrative to the "ghost in the machine." He uses the example of a single song lyric to show this literary effect at work, then examines several contemporary children's novels in which the so called mind of narrative is made to appear manifest.