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'''Narratology''' denotes both the theory and the study of [[narrative]] and [[narrative structure]] and the ways that these affect our perception.<ref>[http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/modules/introduction.html General Introduction to Narratology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> While in principle the word may refer to any systematic study of narrative, in practice its usage is rather more restricted (see below). It is an anglicisation of the French word ''narratologie'', coined by [[Tzvetan Todorov]] in his ''Grammaire du Décaméron'' (1969),<ref>Gerald Prince, "Narratology," ''Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism'', ed. Michael Groden and Martin Kreiswirth (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994) 524.</ref> and has been applied retrospectively to numerous work predating its coinage. Theoretical lineage is traceable to [[Aristotle]](''[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]'') but modern narratology is agreed to have begun with the [[Russian Formalists]], particularly [[Vladimir Propp]] (''Morphology of the Folktale'', 1928).
'''Narratology''' denotes both the theory and the study of [[narrative]] and [[narrative structure]] and the ways that these affect our perception.<ref>[http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/modules/introduction.html General Introduction to Narratology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> While in principle the word may refer to any systematic study of narrative, in practice its usage is rather more restricted. It is an anglicisation of French ''narratologie'', coined by [[Tzvetan Todorov]] (''Grammaire du Décaméron'', 1969),<ref>Gerald Prince, "Narratology," ''Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism'', ed. Michael Groden and Martin Kreiswirth (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994) 524.</ref>. Narratology is applied retrospectively as well to work predating its coinage. Its theoretical lineage is traceable to [[Aristotle]](''[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]'') but modern narratology is agreed to have begun with the [[Russian Formalists]], particularly [[Vladimir Propp]] (''Morphology of the Folktale'', 1928).


Narratology's origins lend to it a strong association with the [[Structuralism|structuralist]] quest for a formal system of usefully description applicable to any narrative content (the analogy being with the [[Formal grammar|grammars]] by reference to which [[sentence (linguistics)|sentences]] are [[Parsing|parsed]] in some forms of [[linguistics]]). This does not, however, characterize all work today described as narratological; [[Percy Lubbock]]'s work in [[Point of view (literature)|point of view]] (''The Craft of Fiction'', 1921), is a case in point. [[Jonathan Culler]] (2001) describes narratology as comprising many strands united in the recognition "that the theory of narrative requires a distinction between...'story' - a sequence of actions or events, conceived as independent of their manifestation in discourse - and...'discourse,' the discursive presentation or narration of events." But he furthermore admits that this is only implicit.<ref>Jonathan Culler, ''The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction'', Routledge Classics ed. (London: Routledge, 2001) 189.</ref> This was first proposed by the [[Russian Formalists]], who employed the couplet[[Fabula and sujet|fabula and sujet]]. A subsequent succession of alternate pairings has preserved the essential binomial impulse, e.g. ''histoire''/''discours'', ''histoire''/''récit'', ''story''/''plot''. The Structuralist assumption that fabula and sujet could be investigated separately, gave birth to two very different traditions: thematic (Propp, Bremond, Greimas, Dundes, et al) and modal (Genette, Prince, et al) narratology. The former is mainly limited to a semiotic formalization of the sequences of the actions told, while the latter examines the manner in which such actions are told, laying stressing voice, point of view and transformation of the chronological order, rhythm and frequence. Many authors (Sternberg, 1993<ref>Meir Sternberg, ''Expositional Modes and Temporal Ordering in Fiction'', (Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1993).</ref>, [[Paul Ricoeur|Ricoeur]], date required, and [[Raphaël Baroni|Baroni]], 2007)<ref>[[Raphaël Baroni]], ''La Tension narrative. Suspense, curiosité et surprise'', (Paris: Seuil, 2007).</ref> have insisted that thematic and modal narratology should not be considered separately, especially when dealing with the function and interest of narrative sequence and plot.
It's origins lend to it a strong association with the [[Structuralism|structuralist]] quest for a formal system of useful description applicable to any narrative content, the analogy being to the [[Formal grammar|grammars]] by reference to which [[sentence (linguistics)|sentences]] are [[Parsing|parsed]] in some forms of [[linguistics]]). This procedure does not however typify all work described as narratological today; [[Percy Lubbock]]'s work in [[Point of view (literature)|point of view]] (''The Craft of Fiction'', 1921), is a case in point. [[Jonathan Culler]] (2001) describes narratology as comprising many strands 'implicitly united in the recognition that narrative theory requires a distinction between "story," a sequence of actions or events conceived as independent of their manifestation in discourse, and "discourse," the discursive presentation or narration of events.'<ref>Jonathan Culler, ''The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction'', Routledge Classics ed. (London: Routledge, 2001) 189.</ref> This was first proposed by the [[Russian Formalists]], who employed the couplet[[Fabula and sujet|fabula and sujet]]. A subsequent succession of alternate pairings has preserved the essential binomial impulse, e.g. ''histoire''/''discours'', ''histoire''/''récit'', ''story''/''plot''. The Structuralist assumption that fabula and sujet could be investigated separately, gave birth to two quite different traditions: thematic (Propp, Bremond, Greimas, Dundes, et al) and modal (Genette, Prince, et al) narratology. The former is mainly limited to a semiotic formalization of the sequences of the actions told, while the latter examines the manner of their telling, stressing voice, point of view,transformation of the chronological order, rhythm and frequency. Many authors (Sternberg, 1993)<ref>Meir Sternberg, ''Expositional Modes and Temporal Ordering in Fiction'', (Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1993).</ref>, [[Paul Ricoeur|Ricoeur]], date required, and [[Raphaël Baroni|Baroni]], 2007)<ref>[[Raphaël Baroni]], ''La Tension narrative. Suspense, curiosité et surprise'', (Paris: Seuil, 2007).</ref> have insisted that thematic and modal narratology should not be looked at separately, especially when dealing with the function and interest of narrative sequence and plot.


To some extent, the designation of work as narratological or otherwise may have more to do with the university department in which it takes place than with any specific theoretical position. Although a narratological approach can be taken to any narrative at all, and the classic studies (for example, Propp's) were often of non-literary narratives, the term "narratology" is most likely employed within the disciplines of [[literary theory]] and [[literary criticism]]. Examples of systematic narrative study that would not typically be described as narratological would include [[sociolinguistics|sociolinguistic]] studies of oral storytelling, such as those of [[William Labov]], and studies in [[conversation analysis]] or [[discourse analysis]] that deal with narratives arising in the course of spontaneous verbal interaction. However, constituent analysis of a type where [[narreme]]s are considered to be the basic units of narrative structure could be included either in [[linguistics]], in [[semiotics]], or in [[literary theory]].<ref>Henri Wittmann, "[http://homepage.mac.com/noula/ling/1975a-theonarreme.pdf Théorie des narrèmes et algorithmes narratifs]," ''Poetics'' 4.1 (1975): 19-28.</ref>
Designating work as narratological is to some extent dependent more on the academic discipline in which it takes place than any theoretical position advanced. The approach is applicable to any narrative, and in its classic studies, vis-a-vis Propp, non-literary narratives were commonly taken up. Still the term "narratology" is most typically applied to [[literary theory]] and [[literary criticism]]. Atypical applications of narratological methodologies would include [[sociolinguistics|sociolinguistic]] studies of oral storytelling ([[William Labov]]) and in [[conversation analysis]] or [[discourse analysis]] that deal with narratives arising in the course of spontaneous verbal interaction. However, constituent analysis of a type where [[narreme]]s are considered to be the basic units of narrative structure could fall within the areas of [[linguistics]], [[semiotics]], or [[literary theory]].<ref>Henri Wittmann, "[http://homepage.mac.com/noula/ling/1975a-theonarreme.pdf Théorie des narrèmes et algorithmes narratifs]," ''Poetics'' 4.1 (1975): 19-28.</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==

Revision as of 08:15, 6 July 2009

Narratology denotes both the theory and the study of narrative and narrative structure and the ways that these affect our perception.[1] While in principle the word may refer to any systematic study of narrative, in practice its usage is rather more restricted. It is an anglicisation of French narratologie, coined by Tzvetan Todorov (Grammaire du Décaméron, 1969),[2]. Narratology is applied retrospectively as well to work predating its coinage. Its theoretical lineage is traceable to Aristotle(Poetics) but modern narratology is agreed to have begun with the Russian Formalists, particularly Vladimir Propp (Morphology of the Folktale, 1928).

It's origins lend to it a strong association with the structuralist quest for a formal system of useful description applicable to any narrative content, the analogy being to the grammars by reference to which sentences are parsed in some forms of linguistics). This procedure does not however typify all work described as narratological today; Percy Lubbock's work in point of view (The Craft of Fiction, 1921), is a case in point. Jonathan Culler (2001) describes narratology as comprising many strands 'implicitly united in the recognition that narrative theory requires a distinction between "story," a sequence of actions or events conceived as independent of their manifestation in discourse, and "discourse," the discursive presentation or narration of events.'[3] This was first proposed by the Russian Formalists, who employed the coupletfabula and sujet. A subsequent succession of alternate pairings has preserved the essential binomial impulse, e.g. histoire/discours, histoire/récit, story/plot. The Structuralist assumption that fabula and sujet could be investigated separately, gave birth to two quite different traditions: thematic (Propp, Bremond, Greimas, Dundes, et al) and modal (Genette, Prince, et al) narratology. The former is mainly limited to a semiotic formalization of the sequences of the actions told, while the latter examines the manner of their telling, stressing voice, point of view,transformation of the chronological order, rhythm and frequency. Many authors (Sternberg, 1993)[4], Ricoeur, date required, and Baroni, 2007)[5] have insisted that thematic and modal narratology should not be looked at separately, especially when dealing with the function and interest of narrative sequence and plot.

Designating work as narratological is to some extent dependent more on the academic discipline in which it takes place than any theoretical position advanced. The approach is applicable to any narrative, and in its classic studies, vis-a-vis Propp, non-literary narratives were commonly taken up. Still the term "narratology" is most typically applied to literary theory and literary criticism. Atypical applications of narratological methodologies would include sociolinguistic studies of oral storytelling (William Labov) and in conversation analysis or discourse analysis that deal with narratives arising in the course of spontaneous verbal interaction. However, constituent analysis of a type where narremes are considered to be the basic units of narrative structure could fall within the areas of linguistics, semiotics, or literary theory.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ General Introduction to Narratology
  2. ^ Gerald Prince, "Narratology," Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, ed. Michael Groden and Martin Kreiswirth (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994) 524.
  3. ^ Jonathan Culler, The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction, Routledge Classics ed. (London: Routledge, 2001) 189.
  4. ^ Meir Sternberg, Expositional Modes and Temporal Ordering in Fiction, (Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1993).
  5. ^ Raphaël Baroni, La Tension narrative. Suspense, curiosité et surprise, (Paris: Seuil, 2007).
  6. ^ Henri Wittmann, "Théorie des narrèmes et algorithmes narratifs," Poetics 4.1 (1975): 19-28.

See also

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