Linear Narrative in Literature & Literary Theory

Linear Narrative: Etymology/Term, Meaings and Concept

Etymology/Term:

The term “linear narrative” finds its roots in the Latin word “linearis,” meaning “pertaining to a line.” In academic discourse, a linear narrative refers to a storytelling structure characterized by a chronological and sequential arrangement of events. The narrative unfolds in a straightforward manner, progressing from a beginning through a middle to an end, reflecting a clear cause-and-effect relationship between events. This term has been widely employed in various disciplines, including literature, film studies, and digital storytelling, to describe narratives that follow a conventional, time-ordered progression.

Meanings and Concepts:

• Chronological Progression:
  • Linear narratives unfold in a chronological order, with events presented in the order in which they occur.
• Cause-and-Effect Relationships:
  • Events in a linear narrative are typically linked by cause-and-effect relationships, creating a coherent and easily understandable storyline.
• Traditional Storytelling:
  • Linear narratives align with traditional storytelling structures, providing a familiar and accessible format for audiences.
• Character Development:
  • The linear format allows for the development of characters over time, as their experiences shape and evolve throughout the narrative.
• Clarity and Coherence:
  • Linear narratives offer clarity and coherence, making it easier for audiences to follow the storyline without complex temporal shifts.
• Narrative Arc:
  • Linear narratives often follow a traditional narrative arc, with an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Reader/Viewer Engagement:
  • The straightforward nature of linear narratives can enhance reader or viewer engagement, as the progression is intuitive and easy to follow.
• Temporal Linearity:
  • Linear narratives maintain temporal linearity, presenting events in a straight line without significant flashbacks, flash-forwards, or disruptions.
• Conventional Story Endings:
  • Linear narratives typically lead to conventional story endings, providing a sense of resolution and closure for the audience.
• Critiques and Limitations:
  • Some critiques of linear narratives include a potential lack of innovation and the oversimplification of complex stories, as the structure may not accommodate non-linear elements or unconventional storytelling techniques.

Linear Narrative: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Linear narrative, as a theoretical term, refers to a storytelling structure characterized by a chronological and sequential progression of events from beginning to end. In a linear narrative, the events unfold in a straightforward manner, presenting a clear cause-and-effect relationship between successive elements. This conventional format is often associated with traditional storytelling, offering a coherent and easily comprehensible arrangement of the narrative elements.

Linear Narrative: Theorists, Works, and Argument

Theorists:

• Aristotle: In Poetics, Aristotle expounded on the principles of dramatic structure, emphasizing a well-constructed plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end. His work laid the foundation for understanding narrative coherence.
• E.M. Forster: Author of Aspects of the Novel, Forster contributed to narrative theory by delineating the concept of “story” as a chronological sequence of events. His insights underscored the importance of linear progression in storytelling.
• Joseph Campbell: Known for The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell proposed the monomyth theory, a universal narrative structure often following a linear pattern. The hero’s journey involves distinct stages, contributing to a cohesive and linear narrative.
• Vladimir Propp: In Morphology of the Folktale, Propp analyzed folktales, identifying recurring narrative functions. His work highlighted the importance of sequential and linear story elements in traditional narratives.
• Christopher Booker: Author of The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Booker argued for seven archetypal story structures. Many of these plots involve a linear progression, tracing characters from an initial situation to a resolution.

Works:

• Homer:
  • Notable Works: Iliad and Odyssey
  • Homer’s epics exemplify linear narratives, recounting heroic exploits in a chronological and sequential manner.
• Jane Austen:
  • Notable Work: Pride and Prejudice
  • Austen employs a linear narrative structure, guiding readers through romantic entanglements with clear chronology.
• George Orwell:
  • Notable Work: 1984
  • Orwell utilizes a linearity in narrative to depict the dystopian progression of events, emphasizing cause-and-effect relationships.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald:
  • Notable Work: The Great Gatsby
  • Fitzgerald employs a lineariy narrative to unfold tragic events, illustrating cause-and-effect dynamics in Jazz Age society.
• Akira Kurosawa:
  • Notable Work: Rashomon
  • While a filmmaker, Kurosawa challenges narratives, presenting multiple perspectives on events, questioning a single, linear truth.

Main Argument about Linear Narrative Term:

Linear narrative, as theorized by these scholars and exemplified in various works, underscores the chronological and sequential arrangement of events in storytelling. The concept emphasizes a clear cause-and-effect relationship, providing coherence and accessibility to audiences. Whether explored through ancient epics, classic novels, or modern films, the term encapsulates a fundamental structure in which events unfold in a straightforward manner, contributing to the comprehensibility and engagement of a narrative.

Linear Narrative: Major Characteristics

• Chronological Progression:
  • Example: In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, events unfold chronologically, following the progression of the characters’ relationships from initial meetings to eventual resolutions.
• Cause-and-Effect Relationships:
  • Example: George Orwell’s 1984 employs a linear narrative structure, illustrating the cause-and-effect dynamics of a dystopian society’s progression under totalitarian rule.
• Character Development:
  • Example: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the linear narrative allows for the development of Jay Gatsby and other characters as their stories evolve over time.
• Clear Narrative Arc:
  • Example: Homer’s Odyssey follows a clear narrative arc as Odysseus embarks on a journey, faces challenges, and eventually returns home, adhering to a linear structure.
• Temporal Linearity:
  • Example: In One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, despite the novel’s complex narrative, events unfold linearly, tracing the Buendía family’s history through generations.
• Traditional Storytelling:
  • Example: William Shakespeare’s Hamlet adheres to a narrative, presenting the events in Denmark in a sequential manner, leading to the tragic resolution.
• Reader Engagement:
  • Example: Agatha Christie’s mystery novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express, often employ linear narratives to engage readers in solving a crime step by step.
• Resolution and Closure:
  • Example: In the classic fairy tale Cinderella, the linear narrative leads to the resolution of Cinderella’s hardships and her eventual happily-ever-after.
• Avoidance of Flashbacks/Flash-forwards:
  • Example: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea maintains a linear structure, recounting the fisherman’s struggle without significant temporal disruptions.
• Predictable Progression:
  • Example: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone follows a linear narrative as Harry navigates through his first year at Hogwarts, presenting a predictable chronological progression.

Linear Narrative: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Linear Narrative
Structuralism	Linear narrative aligns with structuralist analysis, emphasizing clear cause-and-effect relationships within the narrative structure.
Formalism	In formalist literary theories, linear causation aids in understanding the progression of plot elements and their impact on the overall form and structure of a literary work.
New Criticism	New Criticism often explores the linear causation of events in a text to uncover hidden meanings, emphasizing the interconnectedness of elements in the work.
Realism	Linear narrative is crucial in realist literature, as it reflects the cause-and-effect relationships inherent in depicting everyday life and societal dynamics realistically.
Naturalism	Similar to realism, naturalism in literature relies on linear causation to depict characters’ lives as influenced by deterministic forces, such as environment and heredity.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Linear causation can be relevant in psychoanalytic criticism by tracing the psychological cause-and-effect relationships in characters’ actions and motivations within a narrative.
Marxist Literary Criticism	In Marxist literary analysis, linear causation helps identify and analyze the socio-economic factors and class conflicts that shape the events and characters in a literary work.
Feminist Literary Criticism	Linear narrative is relevant in feminist literary criticism to examine the cause-and-effect relationships related to gender dynamics, power structures, and societal expectations in texts.
Postcolonial Literary Criticism	Linear causation may be explored in postcolonial literature to understand the historical and colonial influences that shape the characters’ identities and the unfolding of events.
Postmodern Literary Criticism	Linear narrative is often challenged or deconstructed in postmodern literary theories, emphasizing fragmented narratives and non-linear structures that subvert traditional causal relationships.

Linear Narrative: Application in Critiques

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:
   • Application: Austen’s use of a linear narrative structure allows for a clear depiction of the evolving relationships between characters, following a chronological progression.
   • Critique: While the linear approach aids in understanding character development, a critique might argue that it oversimplifies the complexities of social dynamics and emotional nuances, potentially limiting a more nuanced exploration of the characters’ motivations.
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:
   • Application: Despite the novel’s magical realism, Marquez employs a linear narrative, tracing the Buendía family’s history in a chronological manner.
   • Critique: Some critics may argue that the linear structure simplifies the intricate and non-linear nature of the novel’s themes, potentially diminishing the impact of its experimental storytelling.
3. 1984 by George Orwell:
   • Application: Orwell’s use of a linear narrative effectively communicates the dystopian progression of events, illustrating the cause-and-effect dynamics of totalitarian control.
   • Critique: While the linear structure enhances clarity, a critique might suggest that it limits the exploration of the psychological complexities of the characters and the broader socio-political commentary.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
   • Application: Fitzgerald employs a linear narrative to unfold the tragic events surrounding Jay Gatsby, adhering to a chronological progression.
   • Critique: Critics may argue that the linear structure, while providing clarity, may oversimplify the novel’s exploration of the American Dream, societal decadence, and the nuanced motivations of the characters.

Linear Narrative: Relevant Terms

Term	Brief Description
Chronology	Sequential arrangement of events in chronological order.
Causality	The relationship between cause and effect within the narrative.
Plot Structure	The organization and arrangement of events in a story.
Temporal Linearity	The linear progression of time within the narrative.
Narrative Arc	The trajectory of a story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Cause-and-Effect	The principle that events are connected through a causal relationship.
Storytelling Tradition	Conventional methods and styles of narrating a story.
Character Development	The evolution and changes undergone by characters over the course of the narrative.
Closure	The resolution or conclusion of a story, providing a sense of completeness.
Linear Structure	The organization of a narrative in a straightforward, chronological sequence.

Linear Narrative: Suggested Readings

1. Barthes, Roland. S/Z: An Essay. Hill and Wang, 1974.
2. Chatman, Seymour. Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Cornell University Press, 1978.
3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.
4. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, 1983.
5. Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952.
6. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.
7. Prince, Gerald. A Dictionary of Narratology. University of Nebraska Press, 1987.
8. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company, 1951.