Narrative Theory

1
Narrative Theory

• What is the role of the narrator in a literary
  text?

2
Narrative Theory

• From
• AN OUTLINE OF NARRATIVE THEORY
• J. SHARPE - STANTON COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
• http//www.geocities.com/sharpej/flibslit/outline
  3.html

3
The Narrative Situation
The Author
CREATES On the basis of certain moral,
intellectual, aesthetic, and political concerns
The Fabula
A Fictional World

• Location (setting)
• Events
• Characters

WHO VIEWS
to
WHO Reports
The Narrator
The Reader
The story through the text.
4
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula
5
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula
6
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula
7
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula
8
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula
9
The Narrators Experience of the Fabula

• Complete world
• Seamless sequence of events
• Millions of events, locations, and actions
• Sequential
• Unaware of everything

10
The Authors Experience of the Fabula
11
The Authors Experience of the Fabula
12
The Authors Experience of the Fabula
13
The Authors Experience of the Fabula
14
The Authors Experience of the Fabula
15
The Authors Experience of the Fabula

• Incomplete world
• Collection of related events
• Finite number of, locations, and actions
• Non-Sequential
• Aware of everything

16
The Readers Experience of the Fabula
17
The Readers Experience of the Fabula
18
The Readers Experience of the Fabula
19
The Readers Experience of the Fabula
20
The Readers Experience of the Fabula

• Shadow world
• Collection of related events
• Finite number of, locations, and actions
• Non-Sequential
• Aware only of what the narrator tells us???

21
The Readers Experience of the Fabula
22
The Narrative Transaction
Implied Author
Implied Reader
Real Author
Real Reader
Narrator
Narratee
23
Narrative Distance

• The narrator reports on the thoughts and feeling
  (even unconscious thoughts and feelings) of the
  character even to the point of speaking the
  character's unspoken thoughts in the character's
  style.

• First person narrator is NOT the closest
  distance. The First person narrator may be
  unaware of his own thoughts, feelings, or
  motivations.

• Note that some narrators report on their earlier
  selves to achieve the insight that third person
  narrator does (retrospective narration) - indeed
  a narrator may change himself into a third person
  narrator separated by time from his earlier self.

MIND READER
CAMERA VIEW

• This narrator reports only actions and
  situations. He is an observer and commentator on
  characters' action only.

What about truth???
24
What about truth?
25
Presentation Prepared by

• Carolyn P. Henly
• Meadowbrook HS
• 4901 Cogbill Rd.
• Richmond, VA 23234
• 804-743-3683
• Carolyn_Henly_at_ccpsnet.net
• http//home.comcast.net/cphenlymbk2006

26
The End