Hypodiegesis in Literature and Literary Theory

Hypodiegesis: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Etymology

The term “hypodiegesis” derives from classical Greek roots:

• Hypo-: A prefix signifying “under,” “beneath,” or “subordinated to.”
• Diegesis: A term denoting “narration” or “recounting.” It forms the basis for words like “diegetic,” referring to components belonging to a story’s fictional world.

Meaning and Concept

Hypodiegesis describes a narrative embedded within a primary narrative structure. It establishes a secondary storytelling level, effectively creating a narrative within a narrative. This concept functions within a hierarchy of narrative levels:

• Extradiegetic Level: The foundational narrative framework where the principal narrator resides.
• Diegetic Level: The internal world of the story itself, inhabited by characters, settings, and the core sequence of events.
• Hypodiegetic Level: A subordinate narrative nestled within the primary story, often recounted by characters within the diegetic level.

Illustrative Examples of Hypodiegesis

Common manifestations of hypodiegesis include:

• Dreams and Visions: A character’s dream sequences introduce self-contained narratives existing within the overarching story.
• Recollections and Flashbacks: A character’s reminiscences of past events function as distinct mini-narratives set within the broader plotline.
• Metafictional Devices: Techniques such as a play-within-a-play (exemplified in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”) establish overt hypodiegetic layers.
• Embedded Narratives: Stories relayed by a character within the primary narrative form secondary narrative threads.

Hypodiegesis: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Hypodiegesis refers to a secondary narrative that exists within a primary narrative. It functions as a story within a story, creating a subordinate level of narration. Examples of hypodiegesis include dreams, flashbacks, stories told by characters, and plays-within-plays.

Hypodiegesis: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorist	Key Publications	Contributions to Hypodiegesis Theory
Gérard Genette	Narrative Discourse (1972), Narrative Discourse Revisited (1983)	Established the hierarchical framework of narrative levels (extradiegetic, diegetic, metadiegetic/hypodiegetic), providing the foundational vocabulary for analyzing embedded narratives.
Mieke Bal	Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative (1985)	Expanded upon Genette’s work, offering in-depth analysis of how hypodiegesis affects focalization (perspective) and influences the structural complexity of narratives.
Linda Hutcheon	A Theory of Parody: The Teachings of Twentieth-Century Art Forms (1985), Narcissistic Narrative: The Metafictional Paradox (1980)	Explored the extensive use of hypodiegesis in metafictional works, emphasizing its role in foregrounding the constructed nature of narratives and destabilizing notions of authority within fictional worlds.
Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan	Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics (1983)	Provided a comprehensive investigation of the diverse manifestations of hypodiegesis (e.g., dreams, embedded stories, flashbacks), examining their impact on the interpretive process and reader engagement.

Hypodiegesis: Major Characteristics

Embedded Structure: Hypodiegesis establishes a self-contained narrative existing within the primary narrative framework.

• Example: In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “The Mousetrap” play-within-a-play functions as a hypodiegetic element, mirroring the central plot and furthering thematic development.
• Example: Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness showcases nested narratives; Marlow’s tale forms a hypodiegetic layer within the primary frame of a narrator aboard a ship on the Thames.

Shift in Narrative Authority: Hypodiegesis temporarily transfers narrative voice to a new level, often to a character within the diegesis.

• Example: One Thousand and One Nights employs extensive hypodiegesis; Scheherazade’s intricate tales create multi-layered narration as a survival mechanism.
• Example: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein features embedded perspectives: the creature’s harrowing account forms a hypodiegetic narrative within the overarching frames of Walton’s letters and a primary external narrator.

Thematic Development: Hypodiegetic narratives frequently reflect, deepen, or challenge the core themes of the primary narrative.

• Example: Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales reveals multifaceted aspects of human nature and social issues; each pilgrim’s chosen tale offers hypodiegetic commentary on those themes.
• Example: Christopher Nolan’s Inception explores the elusive nature of reality through embedded layers of dreams, showcasing how hypodiegesis can manipulate perceptions.

Subjectivity and Perspective: Hypodiegesis can introduce unreliable narrators or limited points of view, highlighting the constructed and multi-faceted nature of storytelling.

• Example: Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights uses layered narration with Lockwood and Nelly Dean, fostering ambiguity and revealing potential unreliability in interpretation.
• Example: Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day offers a first-person narrative in which Stevens’ hypodiegetic voice gradually exposes biases and hidden perspectives.

Hypodiegesis: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Hypodiegesis	Explanation
Structuralism/Narratology	Hypodiegesis highlights the hierarchical structure of narratives as defined in works by theorists like Genette and Bal.	Examination of narrative levels exposes the constructed nature of storytelling and allows for analysis of relations between embedded tales and primary narratives.
Poststructuralism	Hypodiegesis destabilizes notions of a single, authoritative “truth.” Embedded narratives undermine a centralized narrator and reveal how different perspectives and biases play into the composition of meaning.	This aligns with poststructuralist critiques of stable systems and interpretations.
Reader-Response Criticism	Hypodiegesis impacts reader experience by creating shifts in perspective and fostering ambiguity.	Readers may have distinct reactions to hypodiegetic narrators or stories-within-stories, potentially uncovering previously obscured depths within a text.
Formalism	Hypodiegesis is a structural device that introduces complexity and self-referentiality.	Formalists can examine how embedded narratives disrupt linear storylines, contribute to form or pattern, and draw attention to the literary artifice present within a text.
Metafiction	Hypodiegesis is a core feature of metafiction and allows for experimentation with the boundaries between fictional worlds.	It’s a fundamental tool for self-reflexive storytelling that comments on the act of narrative creation and reading.

Hypodiegesis: Application in Critiques

Understanding Hardy’s Revisions

• Initial Serialization: Many of Hardy’s novels were originally published in serialized form in magazines. Editors often imposed limitations on content that they considered controversial, potentially impacting themes like sexuality and social critique.
• Censorship and Social Norms: Hardy made changes to accommodate Victorian-era sensitivities while preserving the essence of his narratives.
• Restoring Original Vision: When publishing his novels in book form, Hardy aimed to reinstate his preferred phrasing, themes, or plot devices previously altered due to serialization format restrictions.
• The Wessex Editions: The definitive publications of Hardy’s novels are found in the Wessex Editions, prepared in part by Hardy himself. These contain his final revisions and are typically considered the most authoritative versions.

Significant Examples of Revisions

• Tess of the d’Urbervilles: Arguably Hardy’s most extensively revised novel. Major changes involved restoring details of Tess’s seduction and altering the ending to align better with Hardy’s intended tragedy.
• Jude the Obscure: Faced severe criticism for its themes of sexuality and religious skepticism. Hardy’s revisions sought to mitigate perceived controversies while remaining true to the novel’s core message.
• The Mayor of Casterbridge: Significant shifts occurred in characterizations and depictions of events surrounding Michael Henchard as Hardy restored a degree of complexity to the character.

Hypodiegesis: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Narratology	The study of the structure and elements of narratives.
Diegesis	The narrative world of a story, including characters, settings, and events.
Extradiegetic	The primary narrative level, where the core narrator resides.
Embedded Narrative	A story-within-a-story, forming a subordinate narrative layer.
Nested Narratives	Multiple levels of embedded narratives, increasing complexity.
Focalization	The perspective through which a story is presented, including character perspectives within hypodiegesis.
Metafiction	Fiction that foregrounds its own constructed nature, frequently employing hypodiegesis.
Frame Narrative	An overarching narrative that introduces and contextualizes an embedded story.
Unreliable Narrator	A narrator whose accounts may be incomplete, biased, or untrustworthy, often found in hypodiegetic levels.
Reader Reception	How readers interpret and are impacted by hypodiegetic narratives and shifts in perspective.

Hypodiegesis: Suggested Readings

1. Bal, Mieke. Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. 3rd ed., U of Toronto P, 2009.
2. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cornell UP, 1980.
3. Hutcheon, Linda. A Theory of Parody: The Teachings of Twentieth-Century Art Forms. U of Illinois P, 2000.
4. –. Narcissistic Narrative: The Metafictional Paradox. Routledge, 1980.
5. Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2002.