Subjectivity of Time in Literature & Literary Theory

Concept of Subjectivity of Time

The concept of the subjectivity of time in philosophy and physics suggests that our perception and experience of time are not absolute but are influenced by individual perspectives, contexts, and psychological factors.

It challenges the notion of a universal, objective time and underscores that time can be experienced differently by individuals, depending on their relative motion, psychological state, and cultural background. This subjectivity of time has implications for our understanding of reality and our philosophical discussions on the nature of temporal experience.

Meanings of Subjectivity of Time

Aspect	Meaning
Temporal Perspective	Different characters or narrators experience time uniquely based on emotions, perceptions, and circumstances.
Narrative Techniques	Authors employ techniques like flashbacks and nonlinear storytelling to convey diverse time experiences.
Psychological Time	Examines how mental states, memories, and expectations can alter characters’ time perception.
Cultural and Historical Context	Highlights how cultural and historical contexts shape characters’ views of time.
Stream of Consciousness	Captures characters’ inner thoughts and their subjective experience of time.
Existential Exploration	Explores questions of mortality, the passage of time, and the search for meaning in a temporal world.
Time as a Theme	Authors make time a central theme, examining its impact on decisions, relationships, and personal growth.
Literary Theory	Theoretical analysis of how authors manipulate time to convey meaning and its role in narrative and storytelling.

Definition of Subjectivity of Time as a Theoretical Term

The subjectivity of time, as a theoretical concept, refers to the idea that time is not an absolute and universal entity but is perceived and experienced differently by individuals based on their emotions, perspectives, and circumstances.

It acknowledges that temporal perception is inherently personal and can vary across cultural, psychological, and narrative contexts. This concept has profound implications for philosophy, literature, and the understanding of how individuals relate to and interpret the passage of time.

Subjectivity of Time: Theorists, Works, and Arguments

Theorists	Notable Work	Argument
Henri Bergson	Creative Evolution	Bergson emphasized the subjectivity of time through the concept of “duration” and the distinction between measured, objective time and the individual’s lived experience of time.
Martin Heidegger	Being and Time	Heidegger’s existentialist philosophy delves into the subjectivity, emphasizing how individuals experience time in their existence and the concept of “Dasein.”
Paul Ricoeur	Time and Narrative	Ricoeur explored the narrative construction of time, emphasizing how stories and narratives shape our subjective experience of time.
William James	The Principles of Psychology	James contributed to the understanding of the subjectivity in/of time by discussing the stream of consciousness and how the individual’s inner experience of time differs from clock time.
Virginia Woolf	Mrs. Dalloway	Woolf’s literary works, particularly “Mrs. Dalloway,” exemplify the subjectivity in/of time through her stream-of-consciousness narrative style, showcasing the fluid and individual experience of time.
Jean-Paul Sartre	Being and Nothingness	Sartre’s existential philosophy explores the subjectivity in/of time, emphasizing how individuals are condemned to be free and create their own subjective experience of time.

Subjectivity of Time and Literary Theories

1. Modernism:
   • Relevance: Modernist literature often explores the subjectivity of time through fragmented narratives, stream-of-consciousness techniques, and a focus on individual perception. Authors like James Joyce and Virginia Woolf exemplify this exploration in works like “Ulysses” and “Mrs. Dalloway.”
2. Narratology:
   • Relevance: Narratologists examine how the subjectivity of time affects the narrative structure. Concepts like “anachrony” (non-linear narrative) and “prolepsis” (flashforward) highlight the influence of temporal subjectivity on storytelling.
3. Psychological Realism:
   • Relevance: Literary theories emphasizing psychological realism delve into the interior experiences of characters, which includes their subjective perception of time. Authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky and Henry James explore characters’ mental time through introspection.
4. Postcolonial Literature:
   • Relevance: Postcolonial literature often portrays the subjectivity in the context of colonialism’s impact on cultural identities and temporal perspectives. Authors like Salman Rushdie and Chinua Achebe explore how colonialism disrupts traditional temporalities.
5. Feminist Literary Theory:
   • Relevance: Feminist literary theory examines the subjectivity in/of time, particularly in how female characters’ experiences of time and temporality may differ from male characters. Authors like Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando” challenge conventional gendered temporalities.
6. Magical Realism:
   • Relevance: Magical realist literature integrates elements of the supernatural into everyday life, often bending this subjectivity in time. Writers like Gabriel García Márquez employ magical realism to disrupt linear time and create unique temporal experiences.
7. Postmodernism:
   • Relevance: Postmodernist literature embraces non-linear narratives, intertextuality, and metafiction, reflecting the subjectivity of time and the collapse of traditional temporal structures. Authors like Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges explore these themes.

Subjectivity of Time in Literary Criticism

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez: Critique: García Márquez employs the subjectivity of time to create a narrative that blends the past, present, and future, challenging the conventional linear progression of time. This subjectivity underscores the novel’s magical realism and the cyclical nature of history in Macondo. The novel’s portrayal of time as fluid and non-linear emphasizes the characters’ eternal existence, creating a dreamlike, timeless atmosphere.
2. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: Critique: In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf’s use of stream-of-consciousness narrative delves deeply into the subjectivity of time within the characters’ minds. It highlights how individual consciousness experiences time as a continuous flow of thoughts, memories, and emotions, rather than as objective, measured time. The novel’s temporal subjectivity amplifies the psychological depth of the characters and their intricate relationships with time.
3. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: Critique: Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury is a masterpiece of narrative experimentation that explores the fragmented subjectivity. By employing multiple narrators, each with their own temporal perspectives and emotional states, Faulkner captures the disjointed experience of time within a single family. This subjectivity underscores the disintegration of traditional temporal structures, mirroring the characters’ inner chaos.
4. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: Critique: Solzhenitsyn’s novel portrays the subjectivity of time in the context of a single day in a Soviet labor camp. It underscores how the experience of time varies for the prisoners, as they count moments, endure suffering, and seek small pleasures. The novel’s focus on the subjectivity of time highlights the prisoners’ resilience and the significance of individual moments in their harsh reality.

In these novels, the subjectivity of time enriches the narratives, offering readers a unique perspective on temporal experiences and challenging traditional, linear representations of time. Each author’s approach to time contributes to the thematic depth and emotional resonance of the works.

Suggested Readings

1. Bergson, Henri. Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness. Translated by F. L. Pogson, Dover Publications, 2001.
2. Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. Vintage, 1990.
3. García Márquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude. Harper Perennial, 2006.
4. Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson, Harper & Row, 1962.
5. Ricoeur, Paul. Time and Narrative. Translated by Kathleen McLaughlin and David Pellauer, University of Chicago Press, 1985.
6. Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
7. Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Harcourt, 2005.