Diegetic Space in Literature & Literary Theory

Diegetic Space: Etymology and Concept

Etymology: The term “diegetic” derives from the Greek word “diēgēsis,” meaning “narration” or “narrative.” In the context of film and literature, “diegetic space” refers to the fictional or narrative world within the story, including the physical environment, characters, events, and objects that exist within the narrative. It is a concept that distinguishes between elements that are part of the story’s internal reality (diegetic) and those that exist outside the narrative or are implied but not explicitly shown (non-diegetic).

Concept The concept of diegetic space is crucial in understanding the boundaries and immersive quality of a narrative. It refers to the space and elements that characters within a story are aware of and interact with.

For instance, in a film, the physical locations, objects, and conversations that the characters experience are part of the diegetic space. Understanding diegetic space helps both creators and audiences engage with the narrative world and discern what is “real” within the story.

This concept helps in analyzing the coherence and consistency of the narrative universe and is particularly significant in the fields of film studies, literature, and storytelling where it plays a fundamental role in shaping the audience’s suspension of disbelief and connection to the fictional reality.

Diegetic Space: Meanings

Aspect	Meaning
1. Narrative Environment:	Diegetic space refers to the narrative environment within a story, encompassing the physical setting, locations, and surroundings in which the plot unfolds.
2. Internal Story Reality:	It signifies the elements, characters, events, and objects that exist within the narrative’s internal reality, known and acknowledged by the characters within the story.
3. Immersive Narrative World:	Diegetic space helps create an immersive narrative world by defining what is part of the story’s internal reality, fostering a deeper connection between the audience and the fictional universe.
4. Distinction from Non-Diegetic Elements:	It draws a distinction between elements that are an integral part of the narrative (diegetic) and those that exist outside the narrative or are implied but not explicitly shown (non-diegetic).
5. Analyzing Narrative Consistency:	Understanding diegetic space aids in analyzing the coherence and consistency of the narrative world, ensuring that the story’s internal logic and rules are maintained.
6. Fundamental in Film and Literature Studies:	Diegetic space is a fundamental concept in film studies, literature, and storytelling, as it plays a crucial role in shaping the audience’s suspension of disbelief and connection to the fictional reality.

Diegetic Space: Theoretical Term Definition

Diegetic space is a theoretical term used in narrative theory and film studies to describe the coherent and internal world within a story or narrative. It encompasses the physical settings, characters, events, and objects that exist within the narrative’s reality and are acknowledged by the story’s characters. This concept is essential for analyzing the narrative consistency, maintaining the audience’s immersion, and distinguishing elements integral to the story from those that exist outside of it.

Diegetic Space: Theorists, Works, and Arguments

Theorist/Author	Key Works	Contributions and Arguments
Gerard Genette	Narrative Discourse	Gerard Genette introduced the concept of “diegesis” to differentiate between the world of the story (diegetic) and the world of narration (non-diegetic) in literature. His work laid the foundation for the study of diegetic space in literature.
Seymour Chatman	Story and Discourse	Seymour Chatman explored the relationship between “story” (diegetic content) and “discourse” (how the story is presented) in narrative theory. His work delves into the interaction between the narrative’s internal world and its external presentation.
Film Studies	Various	Film studies scholars, such as David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, and David M. Desser, have extensively explored the spatial organization of film narratives. They have discussed concepts like on-screen space, off-screen space, and cinematic space, providing valuable insights into analyzing filmic diegesis.
Henry Jenkins	Various	Henry Jenkins discussed “transmedia storytelling,” a narrative approach that spans multiple media platforms. This method allows for an expansive exploration of diegetic space, as different elements of the narrative are presented in various forms and locations, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
Janet Murray	Hamlet on the Holodeck	Janet Murray’s work delves into the concept of “cyberdrama” and how digital technology can expand and enhance the creation of diegetic spaces, particularly in interactive and digital media. She explores the potential of technology to create immersive and interactive fictional worlds.
Video Games Scholars	Various	Scholars in the field of video game studies, such as Espen Aarseth, Jesper Juul, and Marie-Laure Ryan, have examined the concept of “ergodic literature” and the unique diegetic spaces created within video games. They consider the player’s agency and interaction with the game world, making the analysis of diegetic space in this context particularly intricate and fascinating.

Diegetic Space in Literary Theories

• Concept of Diegesis by Gerard Genette: Gerard Genette, a prominent figure in narratology, introduced the concept of “diegesis” in his book Narrative Discourse. Diegesis refers to the world of the story, where the events take place. Genette’s distinction between diegetic and non-diegetic elements helps analyze the narrative’s internal world and how it relates to the external narration.
• Spatial Analysis: Scholars often engage in spatial analysis to understand how authors construct and depict diegetic space. This analysis explores the geographical, architectural, and conceptual aspects of the story’s world. For example, the setting of a novel can be a crucial element in shaping the narrative and character development.
• Cognitive Approaches: Cognitive literary theorists, such as Lisa Zunshine, have examined how readers mentally construct and navigate diegetic space. Readers use their imagination to create a mental map of the story’s world, and this cognitive engagement influences their interpretation of the narrative.
• Focalization and Perspective: The concept of focalization, introduced by Gérard Genette, deals with the perspective through which the story is presented. It impacts how readers perceive the diegetic space and the characters within it. Different narrative perspectives, such as first-person, third-person limited, or omniscient, can shape the reader’s understanding of the story’s world.
• Spatial Metaphors: Literary theorists often use spatial metaphors to describe the narrative structure and the reader’s journey through the diegetic space. Terms like “narrative distance,” “narrative trajectory,” and “narrative space” help convey the reader’s experience in navigating the story.
• Spatialization of Time: The concept of “chronotopes,” as formulated by Mikhail Bakhtin, explores how time and space are interconnected in a narrative. By analyzing the spatialization of time, scholars can better understand how the story’s diegetic space shapes the temporal aspects of the plot.
• Intertextuality and Intertextual Space: The intertextual space within a literary work is created through references to other texts, cultures, or contexts. Analyzing intertextuality helps uncover the multiple layers of diegetic space and the way it connects to the broader literary landscape.

Understanding diegetic space in literary theories provides a framework for exploring how authors construct fictional worlds, how readers engage with those worlds, and how narrative choices regarding space and setting impact the overall storytelling experience. It allows literary scholars to delve into the intricate relationships between narrative, space, and the reader’s interpretation of a text.

Diegetic Space: Application in Critiques

Work	Critique
The Overstory by Richard Powers	– Diegetic space includes the Pacific Northwest’s old-growth forests, central in the novel.
	– Explore how the Hartsfield family’s home in Kentucky and the Redwoods in California symbolize characters’ connections to nature and ecological themes.
	– Analyze how settings within the diegetic space serve as metaphors for the characters’ commitment to environmental preservation and consequences of deforestation.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood	– Diegetic space extends from Gilead to the Toronto Underground Femaleroad, an escape network.
	– Examine how settings like Ardua Hall and Mayday resistance cells shape the diegetic space, revealing Gilead’s inner workings and global efforts to dismantle it.
	– Discuss how the diegetic space illustrates characters’ journeys and quests for justice within the oppressive regime of Gilead.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens	– Diegetic space encompasses the marshes of Barkley Cove, including the Mausoleum and Jumpin’s Gas Station.
	– Analyze how the marsh environment influences Kya’s life, serving as both a sanctuary and a source of hardship.
	– Discuss the Mausoleum as a diegetic space that symbolizes the power of knowledge and its impact on Kya’s personal development.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett	– Diegetic space includes Mallard, Louisiana, and cities like New Orleans and Los Angeles.
	– Explore how Mallard serves as a diegetic space reflecting the racial identity and passing of Desiree and Stella Vignes.
	– Analyze how New Orleans and Los Angeles become diegetic spaces highlighting the contrasts in the characters’ lives and choices, including cultural and societal expectations.

Terms Relevnat to Digetic Space

1. Diegesis: The total world of a narrative, including everything that is a part of the story, both what is explicitly shown or described and what is implied.
2. Mise-en-scène: Refers to the arrangement of elements within the diegetic space of a visual narrative, including settings, props, lighting, and actors.
3. Non-diegetic elements: Elements that exist outside the world of the story, such as film scores, voiceovers, or other narrative elements that are not part of the characters’ reality.
4. Intradiagetic: Elements or events that exist within the diegesis or the story world. These are part of the characters’ reality and are typically not presented as external or abstract.
5. Extradiegetic: Elements or events that exist outside the diegesis, such as elements from the real world or narrative elements that are explicitly presented as not part of the story world.
6. Framing: The act of selecting what is included within the boundaries of this space in a narrative, which can influence the audience’s perception.
7. Spatial narrative: The use of diegetic space to advance the plot, develop characters, or convey themes within a narrative, often through the arrangement and interaction of characters within specific settings.
8. Temporal narrative: How time unfolds within this space, encompassing aspects like chronology, duration, and order of events in a story.
9. Narrative setting: The specific environments or locations within the diegetic space where a story’s events take place, which can impact the mood, tone, and themes of the narrative.
10. Diegetic sound: Sound within the story world that characters can hear and respond to, as opposed to non-diegetic sound (e.g., a film’s soundtrack).

Diegetic Space: Suggested Readings

1. Bolter, Jay David, and Richard Grusin. Remediation: Understanding New Media. The MIT Press, 2000.
2. Chatman, Seymour. Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Cornell University Press, 1978.
3. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cornell University Press, 1980.
4. Goffman, Erving. Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience. Harper & Row, 1974.
5. Heath, Stephen. Questions of Cinema. Indiana University Press, 1981.
6. Prince, Gerald. Narratology: The Form and Function of Narrative. De Gruyter Mouton, 1982.
7. Stam, Robert. Film Theory: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 2000.
8. Wollheim, Richard. Painting as an Art. Thames & Hudson, 1987.
9. Zunshine, Lisa. Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel. Ohio State University Press, 2006.