In Chapters 1 and 2, I explain the main concepts of pataphysics and apply them to pataphors. The creator of pataphysics, Alfred Jarry characterizes his new science: ‘Pataphysics is as far from metaphysics as metaphysics is from physics, and ‘pataphysics is the science of imaginary solutions. All this must be understood before we move to pataphors, which represent a novel way of handling metaphors, schematically: Basis > Metaphorization > Pataphor. We use the newly created metaphor to describe the facts of a novel world, which form the pataphor in question. In this way, a pataphor uses a metaphorical similarity as a reality on which to base itself. I suggest that we approach pataphors dialectically, starting from a particular pataphor instead of the basis: Patamoment > Pataphor > Metaphorization > Basis. I illustrate all this by starting from the memory of a love story that leads us through its metaphorization back to the basic scene on a street corner in Turku. I explain in detail how a pataphor is created by means of the dialectical approach. Note, the original approach allows the basis to create an infinite number of pataphors while my new approach restricts them to a singleton.

Peer reviewed