Hysteron Proteron: A Rhetorical Device

Hysteron Proteron: Etymology, Literal and Conceptual Meanings

Etymology/Term:

The term “hysteron proteron” originates from Greek, where “hysteron” means “later” or “after,” and “proteron” means “earlier” or “before.” Together, it literally translates to “later earlier” or “the latter before.” In rhetoric, hysteron proteron is a figure of speech in which the natural or logical order of events is reversed, presenting what is actually later as if it occurred first. This device is often used for emphasis, dramatic effect, or to create a particular rhythm in speech or writing.

Literal and Conceptual Meanings:

Literal Meaning	Conceptual Meaning
Events out of order	Logical or temporal inversion
Reversal of sequence	Emphasis on the unexpected or dramatic
Structural imbalance	Distorted chronology for rhetorical effect

Hysteron Proteron: Definition as a Literary Device

Hysteron proteron is a rhetorical device characterized by the inversion of the natural or logical order of events, presenting what is chronologically later as if it occurred first. This figure of speech is employed for emphasis, dramatic effect, or to create a specific rhythm in language. It involves a deliberate rearrangement of events, creating a temporal distortion for rhetorical impact.

Hysteron Proteron: Types and Examples in Everyday Life

Type of Hysteron Proteron	Example in Everyday Life
Structural Inversion	Saying “I can’t go to school because I haven’t finished my homework” instead of “I haven’t finished my homework because I can’t go to school.”
Temporal Distortion	Stating “I’m happy because I smiled” instead of “I smiled because I’m happy.”
Emphatic Rearrangement	Claiming “He cried out in pain as the car hit him” instead of “The car hit him, and he cried out in pain.”

Hysteron Proteron in Literature: Shakespearean Examples

1. “Macbeth”:
   • “And lighted fools the way to dusty death, all our yesterdays have.”
2. “Othello”:
   • “Put out the light, and then put out the light.”
3. “Romeo and Juliet”:
   • “Come, loving, black-browed night; come, gentle night; give me my Romeo.”
4. “Hamlet”:
   • “I must be kind only to be cruel.”
5. “Julius Caesar”:
   • “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”
6. “As You Like It”:
   • “Discretion, is the better part of Valour.”
7. “King Lear”:
   • “More than a man but less than a god.”
8. “Richard III”:
   • “My kingdom for a horse! A horse!”

Hysteron Proteron in Literature: Examples

1. Example: Alice Munro’s “Runaway”
   • Reference: “Runaway” (2004)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The protagonist leaves her husband before she realizes the true implications of her decision, creating a reversal of the expected order of emotional realization.
2. Example: Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
   • Reference: “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The narrator begins by insisting on their sanity and then proceeds to recount the events that prove their madness, inverting the logical order of explanation.
3. Example: James Joyce’s “A Little Cloud”
   • Reference: “Dubliners” (1914)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The protagonist fantasizes about literary success before he even attempts to write or take any concrete steps toward achieving his aspirations.
4. Example: Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
   • Reference: “The Lottery” (1948)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The townspeople engage in a ritualistic lottery without fully understanding or questioning its purpose, reversing the usual order of skepticism and inquiry.
5. Example: O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”
   • Reference: “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The characters sell their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other, only realizing the irony and sacrifice after the exchange has occurred.
6. Example: Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”
   • Reference: “Cathedral” (1981)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The blind man teaches the narrator to “see” without visual perception, challenging the conventional order of understanding and insight.
7. Example: Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
   • Reference: “The Story of an Hour” (1894)
   • Hysteron Proteron: Mrs. Mallard feels liberated and joyful at the news of her husband’s death before the shock of his unexpected return.
8. Example: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”
   • Reference: “Young Goodman Brown” (1835)
   • Hysteron Proteron: Goodman Brown experiences the depravity of the townspeople in the forest before realizing the potential corruption of his wife and community.
9. Example: Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
   • Reference: “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (1955)
   • Hysteron Proteron: The townspeople react with curiosity and disbelief to the old man’s wings before understanding the profound nature of his presence.
10. Example: Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Dog”
    • Reference: “The Lady with the Dog” (1899)
    • Hysteron Proteron: The characters fall in love before fully understanding the complexities and consequences of their affair, reversing the typical order of emotional involvement.

Hysteron Proteron in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Hysteron Proteron	Example(s)
Structuralism	Challenges linear narrative structures, emphasizing the play of language.	James Joyce’s “A Little Cloud”
Poststructuralism	Deconstructs traditional narrative norms, questioning fixed meanings.	Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Reflects subconscious desires and conflicts, revealing hidden motives.	Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”
Feminist Criticism	Illuminates gender roles and expectations, often subverting norms.	Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
Marxist Criticism	Exposes societal contradictions and inequalities through inversion.	Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
Reader-Response Criticism	Engages readers in active interpretation, prompting reevaluation.	Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Dog”
Postcolonial Criticism	Questions established power dynamics, challenging colonial narratives.	Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
Formalism	Focuses on literary devices and structures, highlighting linguistic play.	O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”
Cultural Studies	Examines cultural influences on literature, subverting cultural norms.	Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”
Existentialism	Emphasizes individual experience and choice, disrupting expectations.	Alice Munro’s “Runaway”

Hysteron Proteron in Literature: Relevant Terms

Literary Term	Description
Hysteron Proteron	Inverted order of events for emphasis.
Irony	Contrast between expectation and reality.
Foreshadowing	Hints about future events in the narrative.
Symbolism	Use of symbols to convey deeper meanings.
Allegory	Story or image with a hidden moral or political meaning.
Metaphor	Implied comparison between unlike things.
Allusion	Indirect reference to a person, place, or idea.
Paradox	Statement that appears contradictory but reveals truth.
Satire	Humorous critique of people, politics, or society.
Motif	Recurring theme or element contributing to meaning.

Hysteron Proteron in Literature: Suggested Readings

1. Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 11th ed., Cengage Learning, 2014.
2. Aristotle. Poetics. Translated by S. H. Butcher, Dover Publications, 1997.
3. Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, 1983.
4. Eco, Umberto. A Theory of Semiotics. Indiana University Press, 1979.
5. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cornell University Press, 1980.
6. Kennedy, George A. Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times. University of North Carolina Press, 1999.
7. Lanham, Richard A. A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms. 2nd ed., University of California Press, 1991.
8. Miller, Carolyn R. “Genre as Social Action.” Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 70, no. 2, 1984, pp. 151-167.
9. Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb Classical Library, 1920.
10. Sonesson, Göran. Pictorial Concepts: Inquiring into the Semiotic Heritage of the Human Race. Mouton de Gruyter, 1992.