Text of Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 Narratology Lexicon D-F
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 Narratology Lexicon
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 deep structure: The
abstract underlying structure of narrative; the macrostucture of
narrative. The deep structure consists of global
syntactico-semantic representations determining the meaning of the
narrative and is converted into surface structure by a set of
operations or of transformations. ln the Greimassian model of
narrative, for example, whereas actants and actantial relations
would be elements of the deep structure, actants and actorial
relations would be found at the surface-structure level. ln other
models of narrative, whereas the deep structure might be said to
correspond to story, the surface structure might be said to
correspond to Discourse. See: The term and concept were adapted
from Chomsky and generative transformational grammar. See: Chomsky
1965; van Dijk 1972; Fuger 1972; Johnson and Mandler 1980. See also
NARRATIVE GRAMMAR.
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Discourse Participants To (briefly) describe these six
participants, let us pretend the text under consideration is
Huckleberry Finn. The "rear author" is the flesh and blood writer,
Samuel Clemens. The "implied author" is the imaginary conception of
"Mark Twain" that a reader constructs from reading the text.
(Because each reader formulates his or her own image of "Twain"
from weighing subtle hints in the text, readers may not always
agree on his characteristics; for instance, some argue that
Huckleberry Finn leads them to believe that the person behind the
work is terribly racist, others that he is a fierce critic of
racism.) The "narrator" is Huck; he is explicitly set forth in the
opening lines as the voice telling the tale: "You don't know about
me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of
Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter." The "narratee" is the
unspecified person, that you above, to whom Huck is supposedly
speaking. The "implied reader is the imaginary reader for whom the
implied author seems to be writing-someone, in this case, who is
willing to criticize the cant and foibles of civilization. The
"real reader" is the flesh and blood person reading the book in his
or her armchair.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 dispatcher (Propp): One of
the seven fundamental roles that a character may assume (in a fairy
tale), according to Propp. The dispatcher (analogous to Greimas's
SENDER and Souraus BALANCE) sends the hero off on his adventures.
See: Propp 1968. See also ACTANT, DRAMATIS PERSONA, SPHERE OF
ACTION.
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dramatis persona(e): ln Proppian terminology, a fundamental
role (in a fairy tale) assumable by a character. Propp isolated
seven such roles, each responding to a particular sphere of action:
the villain, the donor (provider), the HELPER, the princess (a
sought for person) and her father, the DISPATCHER, the HERO (seeker
or victim), and the FALSE HERO. See: Propp 1968. See also
ACTANT.
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embedded narrative: A narrative within a narrative; a
METADIEGETIC NARRATIVE. See: Gennette 1980. See also EMBEDDING,
FRAME NARRATIVE.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 embedding: A combination of
narrative sequences (recounted in the same narrative instance or in
different ones) such that one sequence is embedded (set within)
another one. A narrative like "Jane was happy, and Susan was
unhappy; then Susan met Flora, and she became unhappy; then Jane
met Peter, and she became unhappy" can be said to result from the
embedding of "Susan was unhappy; then Susan met Flora, and she
became happy" into "Jane was happy; then Jane met Peter, and she
became unhappy." Similarly, Manon Lescaut can be said to result
from the embedding of Des Grieux's narrative into the one recounted
by M. de Renoncourt. See: Along with LINKING and ALTERNATION,
embedding (or nesting) is one of the basic ways of combining
narrative sequences. See also: Bal 1981b; Berendsen 1981; Bremond
1973; Ducrot and Todorov 1979; Prince 1973, 1982; Todorov 1966,
1981. See also METADIEGETIC NARRATTVE.
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enunciation: 1. The traces in a discourse of the act (and its
contextual dimensions) generating that discourse. ln "l will now
recount a beautiful story," the DEICTICS "I" and "now" are signs of
the enunciation. 2. The act (and its contextual dimensions)
generating a discourse. See: Benveniste 1971, 1974; Ducrot and
Todorov 1979
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 epilogue: A final section
in some narratives, coming after the Denouement and not to be
confused with it. The epilogue helps to realize fully the design of
the work. See: Martin 1986. See also prologue.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 episodic: A series of
related events standing apart from surrounding (series of) events
because of one or more distinctive features and having a unity.
See: Beaugrande 1980; Brooks and Warren 1959. See also GOAL, STORY
GRAMMAR.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 episodic plot: A loosely
woven plot; a plot in which no strong causal continuity exists
between one event or episode and the next; a plot the events or
episodes of which have no necessary or probable relation to each
other. See: Aristotle 1968; Brooks and Warren 1959.
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falling action: Along with the rising action and the climax,
one of the basic constituents of a (dramatic or closely knit) plot
structure. The falling action follows the climax and extends to the
denouement. See: Freytag 1894. See also FREYTAG's PYRAMID.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 false hero (Propp): One of
the seven fundamental roles that a character may assume (in a fairy
tale), according to Propp. The false hero (analogous lo Greimas's
opponent and Souriau's MARS) pretends to have accomplished what, in
fact, the hero accomplished. See: Propp 1968. See also ACTANT,
DRAMATIS PERSONA, SPHEBE OF ACTION.
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fiscelle: A term used by Henry James to designate a character
whose main function is to throw light on the meaning or
significance of the situations and events narrated. Henrietta
Stackpole in The Portrait of a Lady and Maria Gostrey in The
Ambassadors are ficelles. The term means "string" in French, as
well as "trick" or "ruse" (cl. the strings with which a puppeteer
controls his or her puppets). See: Booth 1983; H. James 1972;
Souvage 1965.
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flashback: An analepsis; a retrospection; a cutback; a
switchback. The term is often used in connection with cinematic
narrative (Citizen Kane, The Locket, Wild Strawberries). See:
Chatman 1 978; Prince 1982; Souvage 1965. See also ANACHRONY,
ORDER.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 flashforward: A PROLEPSIS;
an ANTICIPATION. The term is often used in connection with
cinematic narrative (The Anderson Tapes; Petulia; They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?). See: Chatman 1978; Prince 1982. See also
ADVANCE NOTICE, ANACHRONY, ORDER.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 flat character: A character
endowed with one or very few traits and highly predictable in
behavior. Mrs. Micawber in David Copperfield is a flat character.
See: Forster 1927. See also ROUND CHARACTER.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 flexi-narrative (Nelson): a
hybrid mix of serial and series forms..., involving the closure of
one story arc within an episode (like a series) but with other,
ongoing story arcs involving the regular characters (like a serial)
(Robin Nelson 82).
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 the flow (Williams):
Raymond Williams designation for the overall system of
television--"the defining characteristic of broadcasting,
simultaneously as a technology and as a cultural form" [Wikipedia].
We do not just watch programs, Williams argued; we watch television
as a whole.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 focal character: The
character in terms of whose point of view the narrated situations
and events are presented; the character as focalizer; the viewpoint
character. ln The Ambassadors Strether is the focal character.
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Freytegs pyramid: Gustav Freytag's diagrammatic representation
of the structure of a tragedy,... often used to characterize
(various aspects of) plot in narrative. See Freytag 1894.
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 Freytegs pyramid
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Studies in Narratology, Summer 2011 Freytegs pyramid (applied
to The Wizard of Oz)
