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3.4 Narratology and Structural Analysis of Texts

3 min readLast Updated on July 22, 2024

Narratology, a branch of structuralism, studies the patterns and rules governing narratives. It examines how stories are constructed and interpreted, focusing on key concepts like fabula, sjuzhet, and narrative discourse. These tools help analyze the building blocks of storytelling.

Narratological analysis involves identifying and examining elements like plot, characters, point of view, setting, and theme. By breaking down these components, we can understand how they work together to create meaning and impact in a story. This approach offers insights but also has limitations.

Narratology and Structural Analysis

Key concepts of narratology

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  • Branch of structuralism focuses on studying narrative structures and techniques
    • Examines underlying patterns, rules, conventions governing construction and interpretation of narratives (hero's journey, three-act structure)
  • Fabula represents chronological sequence of events in a story
    • Actual order in which events occur, regardless of how they are presented in the narrative (flashbacks, flash-forwards)
  • Sjuzhet refers to the way the story is presented, including arrangement and manipulation of events
  • Narrative discourse encompasses manner in which story is told, including choice of words, style, point of view
  • Narratological methods involve identifying, analyzing basic elements of narrative structure
    • Examining relationships, interactions between elements (plot, character, setting)
    • Investigating how elements contribute to overall meaning and effect of narrative (themes, symbols, motifs)

Elements of narrative structure

  • Plot outlines sequence of events in a narrative
    • Exposition introduces setting, characters, initial situation (establishing shot, world-building)
    • Rising action develops conflict, builds tension (inciting incident, obstacles)
    • Climax represents turning point or moment of highest tension (confrontation, revelation)
    • Falling action includes events following climax leading to resolution (consequences, aftermath)
    • Resolution concludes narrative, resolving conflicts (denouement, epilogue)
  • Characters are individuals participating in the story
    • Protagonist serves as main character, often focal point of narrative (hero, antihero)
    • Antagonist opposes protagonist, creating conflict (villain, rival)
    • Flat characters are one-dimensional with few distinguishing traits (stock characters, stereotypes)
    • Round characters are complex, multidimensional, undergoing development (dynamic characters, character arcs)
  • Point of view refers to perspective from which story is told
    • First-person narrated by character within story, using "I" or "we" (autobiographical, confessional)
    • Third-person limited narrated by outside observer, focusing on one character's thoughts, experiences (close third-person, free indirect discourse)
    • Third-person omniscient narrated by all-knowing outside observer with access to all characters' thoughts, feelings (god-like perspective, authorial intrusion)
  • Setting encompasses time, place, social context in which story occurs
    • Contributes to mood, atmosphere, themes of narrative (historical, fantastical, dystopian)
  • Theme represents central idea or underlying meaning of narrative
    • Often explores universal human experiences, values, truths (love, loss, identity)

Application of narratological analysis

  • Identify fabula and sjuzhet of given text
    • Examine how arrangement of events in sjuzhet affects reader's understanding, experience of story (suspense, surprise, dramatic irony)
  • Analyze characterization techniques employed by author
    • Determine how character development contributes to themes, conflicts of narrative (foils, parallels, contrasts)
  • Investigate point of view, its impact on reader's perception of events, characters
    • Consider how choice of narrator shapes tone, reliability, overall interpretation of story (biased, limited, omniscient)
  • Examine role of setting in narrative
    • Explore how setting influences character behavior, plot development, thematic concerns (man vs. nature, social commentary, allegory)
  • Identify and interpret central themes of text
    • Analyze how various narrative elements work together to convey themes (symbolism, foreshadowing, repetition)

Contributions vs limitations of narratology

  • Contributions:
    • Provides systematic framework for analyzing structure, techniques of narratives
    • Offers insights into underlying patterns, conventions shaping storytelling across cultures, genres (monomyth, archetypes)
    • Enables deeper understanding of how narrative elements function, interact to create meaning
  • Limitations:
    • Tends to focus on formal aspects of narrative, potentially neglecting historical, cultural, ideological contexts in which texts are produced, received
    • May overlook role of reader in construction of meaning, emphasizing text's inherent structures
    • Can be seen as reductive, breaking narratives into constituent parts, potentially losing sight of work's overall artistic, emotional impact

Key Terms to Review (24)

Archetypes: Archetypes are universal symbols, themes, or character types that recur across various cultures and literature, representing fundamental human experiences. They serve as foundational elements that shape narratives and influence the reader's understanding of the story, establishing connections to shared cultural memories and psychological patterns.
Binary oppositions: Binary oppositions refer to pairs of contrasting concepts or terms that are often used to structure human thought and cultural understanding. They highlight how meaning is constructed through the relationship between these opposites, influencing various aspects of literature and analysis.
Characterization: Characterization is the process through which an author reveals the personality, traits, and complexities of a character within a narrative. This can be accomplished through direct statements about the character, their actions, dialogue, thoughts, and interactions with other characters. It serves to create depth and relatability, allowing readers to understand and engage with the characters on a more personal level, which is essential in narratology and structural analysis of texts.
Chronotope: A chronotope is a literary concept that describes the interconnectedness of time and space in narrative. It highlights how different settings and temporal frameworks influence the characters, plot, and overall meaning of a text. By examining chronotopes, one can see how authors construct time and place to shape the narrative experience and convey deeper themes.
Dynamic Characters: Dynamic characters are individuals in a story who undergo significant internal changes, developing in response to the events and experiences they face. This transformation can include changes in beliefs, attitudes, or personality, and it often plays a crucial role in the narrative arc, driving the plot forward and providing depth to the story. Dynamic characters contrast with static characters, who remain unchanged throughout the narrative, highlighting the importance of character development in storytelling.
Flat characters: Flat characters are simplistic, one-dimensional characters that are defined by a single trait or idea. They often do not undergo significant development or change throughout the narrative, serving more as a tool for plot advancement or thematic illustration rather than as fully fleshed-out individuals. Their simplicity allows for quick recognition and understanding of their roles within the story, which can be particularly useful in genres that prioritize action over character complexity.
Formalism: Formalism is a critical approach in literary theory that emphasizes the analysis of literary texts based solely on their form, structure, and language, rather than on external factors such as author intent or historical context. This perspective prioritizes elements like symbolism, imagery, meter, and narrative structure, encouraging close examination of how these features contribute to the meaning of a work.
In medias res: In medias res is a narrative technique where a story begins in the middle of the action, rather than at the chronological start. This approach often captivates the audience immediately, plunging them into a pivotal moment, and then reveals the preceding events through flashbacks or dialogue, enhancing suspense and engagement throughout the story.
Inciting Incident: An inciting incident is a pivotal moment in a narrative that sets the main plot into motion, introducing the central conflict or challenge faced by the protagonist. This event disrupts the status quo and propels characters into a series of actions and decisions that drive the story forward. Understanding the inciting incident is crucial for analyzing how narratives are structured and how tension and stakes are established early on.
Intertextuality: Intertextuality refers to the way that texts (literary or otherwise) are interconnected and how they influence and shape one another through references, quotations, or allusions. This concept highlights that no text exists in isolation, as each piece of writing is part of a larger network of cultural and literary discourse.
Metafiction: Metafiction is a form of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, often blurring the boundary between fiction and reality. It typically involves an awareness of the text as a constructed narrative, prompting readers to reflect on the nature of storytelling itself. This concept connects to various literary theories, including narrative techniques, and allows for deeper analysis of how stories are told across different genres.
Mikhail Bakhtin: Mikhail Bakhtin was a Russian philosopher and literary critic known for his work on dialogism and the interplay of voices in literature. His theories challenge traditional notions of authorship and the singularity of meaning, emphasizing instead the importance of context and the multiplicity of perspectives. Bakhtin's ideas are foundational to narratology and structural analysis, offering insights into how narratives are constructed through the interaction of diverse voices and cultural discourses.
Monomyth: The monomyth, often referred to as the 'hero's journey', is a narrative structure that outlines a universal pattern shared by many stories and myths across cultures. It typically involves stages such as the call to adventure, trials, transformation, and the return home, emphasizing the hero's growth and development throughout their journey. This concept connects deeply with narratology and structural analysis of texts by providing a framework to analyze how stories are constructed and what archetypal patterns resonate with audiences.
Narrative voice: Narrative voice refers to the perspective or position from which a story is told, shaping how events, characters, and themes are presented to the reader. It includes the narrator's tone, style, and degree of reliability, which can significantly influence a reader's understanding and interpretation of the text.
Non-linear storytelling: Non-linear storytelling is a narrative technique where the plot is presented out of chronological order, allowing for a more complex and dynamic unfolding of events. This method can create suspense, deepen character development, and engage the audience by inviting them to piece together the story themselves. Non-linear storytelling often utilizes flashbacks, flash-forwards, or multiple perspectives, creating a multifaceted narrative structure that challenges traditional linear narratives.
Plot: Plot refers to the structured sequence of events in a narrative that outlines the main story. It is essential for organizing the action, revealing character motivations, and creating emotional impact, often involving conflict, climax, and resolution. A well-crafted plot keeps the audience engaged and drives the thematic elements of the narrative.
Point of View: Point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is narrated, influencing how events and characters are perceived by readers. This narrative choice shapes the reader's understanding and emotional connection to the text, affecting elements like intimacy with characters, reliability of narration, and thematic depth.
Poststructuralism: Poststructuralism is a philosophical and critical movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, emphasizing the instability of meaning and the complexity of language. It challenges the idea of fixed structures in texts and asserts that meaning is derived from the interplay of multiple interpretations, influenced by context, culture, and reader perception.
Roland Barthes: Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist and semiotician whose work significantly shaped modern literary criticism and theory. His ideas challenged traditional notions of authorship, meaning, and the relationship between text and reader, impacting how literature is analyzed across various theoretical frameworks.
Stream of consciousness: Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that captures the flow of thoughts and feelings as they occur in a character's mind, often in an unstructured or nonlinear fashion. This method allows readers to experience the inner workings of a character's mind, blending their perceptions, memories, and emotions without conventional narrative filters. It plays a significant role in understanding character development and the complexities of human thought, making it essential for analyzing how narratives convey psychological depth.
Structuralism: Structuralism is a theoretical approach that emphasizes the underlying structures that shape culture, language, and literature. It focuses on the relationships between elements within a system rather than on the individual elements themselves, highlighting how meaning is generated through these interconnections. This approach has influenced various fields, including linguistics, anthropology, and literary criticism.
Third-person limited: Third-person limited is a narrative perspective where the narrator tells the story from the viewpoint of one character, providing insights into that character's thoughts and feelings while keeping the other characters' inner lives distant. This point of view creates a balance between objectivity and intimacy, allowing readers to connect with the character's experiences while still maintaining some narrative distance. It is a key feature in narratology as it shapes how stories are structured and perceived by readers.
Third-person omniscient: Third-person omniscient is a narrative perspective in which the narrator knows and can describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of all characters in a story. This point of view allows for a comprehensive understanding of the plot and the inner workings of each character, enabling the narrator to provide insights into various perspectives and events throughout the narrative.
Unreliable narrator: An unreliable narrator is a storytelling device where the credibility of the narrator is compromised, leading readers to question the truth of their account. This technique can create suspense, encourage readers to actively engage with the text, and highlight themes of perception and truth. By presenting a skewed or limited perspective, authors can manipulate the narrative to explore deeper psychological complexities or societal critiques.
Archetypes
See definition

Archetypes are universal symbols, themes, or character types that recur across various cultures and literature, representing fundamental human experiences. They serve as foundational elements that shape narratives and influence the reader's understanding of the story, establishing connections to shared cultural memories and psychological patterns.

Term 1 of 24

Key Terms to Review (24)

Archetypes
See definition

Archetypes are universal symbols, themes, or character types that recur across various cultures and literature, representing fundamental human experiences. They serve as foundational elements that shape narratives and influence the reader's understanding of the story, establishing connections to shared cultural memories and psychological patterns.

Term 1 of 24

Archetypes
See definition

Archetypes are universal symbols, themes, or character types that recur across various cultures and literature, representing fundamental human experiences. They serve as foundational elements that shape narratives and influence the reader's understanding of the story, establishing connections to shared cultural memories and psychological patterns.

Term 1 of 24



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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.
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