Art of Fiction Narration
Art of Fiction Narration
Art of Fiction Narration
The narrator
Who speaks? The narrator as a link between the author and the reader.
Author
Narrator
Reader
Reality
Fiction
Reality
Real author
Types of narration
3 ways to analyse narration:
Relationship narrator story Relationship narrator characters Relationship narrator time scheme of the story
Narratorial presence
Obtrusive or unobtrusive? Reliable or unreliable?
Narration (2)
I/ Identifying the narrator II/ Characterising the narratorial presence III/ Place of the narrator in the narrative chain IV/ Place of the narrator in the time scheme V/ Functions of the narrator
I/ Identifying the narrator II/ Characterising the narratorial presence III/ Place of the narrator in the narrative chain IV/ Place of the narrator in the time scheme V/ Functions of the narrator
Obtrusive or unobtrusive?
Obtrusive: ex. 2 ( distance) Unobtrusive: ex. 10b ( immediacy)
Reliable or unreliable?
!! Can only be determined by reading the whole work !!
Reliable: ex. 1
Unreliable: ex. 10c [] but why will you say that I am mad? [] How, then, am I mad? []
I/ Identifying the narrator II/ Characterising the narratorial presence III/ Place of the narrator in the narrative chain IV/ Place of the narrator in the time scheme V/ Functions of the narrator
Author
Narrator
Reader
Reality
Fiction
Reality
Fiction
Realit y
Real reade r
Us
Us
Ring Lardner
(undefined presence)
I (= You
a (= another character) character)
(undefined presence)
Us
I/ Identifying the narrator II/ Characterising the narratorial presence III/ Place of the narrator in the narrative chain IV/ Place of the narrator in the time scheme V/ Functions of the narrator
I/ Identifying the narrator II/ Characterising the narratorial presence III/ Place of the narrator in the narrative chain IV/ Place of the narrator in the time scheme V/ Functions of the narrator