A Narratological Study of Actions in My Ancestor's House

Abstract

This study investigates Bina Sharif’s play My Ancestor’s House in the light of the narratologicalnotion of action as a character trait. Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan (2002) insinuates that fictional characters are propelled by two types of actions: one-time actions and habitual actions. Routinized activities of characters betray their constant qualities which a relabeled as their static dimensions. These fossilized aspects, in degrees, begin to appear unexciting,ridiculous, and ironic. On the other hand, one-time actions of the literary characters showcase their dynamic self to usher in a turning moment in life. Bina Sharif’s characters not only qualify these definitions but they are also configured in the narratological concept of the act of commission, the act of omission and the contemplated act. The type of action determines the type of patterns that operate as the testimonials of characters. Actions ultimately adopt the symbolic plus ideological color.