On Contemporary Narratology

Abstract

Gerald Prince has adopted the following definition of the narrative: an object is a narrative if it is taken to be the logically consistent representation of at least two asynchronous events that do not presuppose or imply each other. Addressing basic questions regarding the character, form, and functioning of narratives, Prince points to many other narratological questions worth exploring (on the nature, weight, and interaction of the factors affecting narrativity and etc.), as well as to the systematic study of what in an object and its setting encourages its identification as (a) narrative, triggers the calling up of certain grids for processing it as such, and affects the value of such an invocation can clarify the character and specificity of narrative semiosis, the meaning and meaningfulness of narratives and narrative moments. The future of narratology lies partly in its past and in the future too and in a number of endeavors that narratologists should continue to pursue or ought to undertake. Prince emphasizes three endeavors. The first task consists, with the help of new tools, expanded corpora, and fresh inflections, in identifying or examining various aspects of narrative and in (re)defining them, reconfiguring them, and eliminating possible incoherences among them. A second task consists in undertaking (experimental, cross cultural, or cross media) studies of the role and significance of narrative features or narratological claims and in grounding narratology empirically. Finally, according to Prince, the development of an explicit, complete, and realistic model of narrative competence (the ability to produce narrative texts and to process texts as narratives) ultimately constitutes the most important narratological task. Keywords : narratology, narrative, narrator, narrativehood, narrativeness, narrativity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/zz.2014.037