Art of narration

[Shahrear]

Art of narration is called Narratology which is very interesting. Let us have a look at it:

      Narratology is the structural stands of a narrative; it is the art of narration used by the author. The poet may use a mimetic way or a diegetic way for narration. Mimetic way is that which includes a modification of actual fact and diegetic way is that way which describes what has happened. According to Aristotle the poet can not use a diegetic way, he/she always uses a mimetic way. According to modern literary theory a poet can use both the ways, but to produce different point of viewes and to describe what might happen, the poet often uses the mimetic way. Mimetic description can be called plot or sjuzhet and diegetic description can be called story or fabula. So, mimetic description should not be taken literally.

      Now, for poet’s purpose he/she uses different techniques to describe the plot. The most recent narratologist Gerard Genette described different aspects of narratology considering;
i.   Plato’s view of Mimesis,
ii.   Ferdinand de Saussure’s linguistic view of language,
iii.   Roman Jakobson’s view that practical language and poetic languages are different,
iv.   Roland Barthes ‘underlying structure’ approach to literature, and
v.   Vladimir Propp’s thirty-one ‘functions’ of Russian Folklore,

       he deals with all relations between plot and story. He discusses such issues as; story time and plot time, chronology of events, duration of representation. He has also discussed flashback and flash forward techniques of representation. His most innovative question is: ‘who sees? And who tells?’ Gerard Genette described his point of view as “The essential function of the critical activity in establishment of a dialogue between a single text and the conscious or unconscious, individual or collective psyche of creator and/or reader.” Genette’s statement reminds the psychoanalytical ideas of Freud, and demands that author’s biography is a concern.


Md. Hasan Shahrear
MA in English

[Shamim Ansary]

Terms Used by Narratology and Film Theory would be more transparent by visiting the following link:

http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/terms/