Multivocal Narration: Etymology/Term, Literal and Conceptual Meanings
Multivocal Narration: Etymology/Term
The term “multivocal narration” originates from the combination of two key elements: “multi,” indicating many or multiple, and “vocal,” referring to voices or perspectives. Together, the term encapsulates a narrative technique that involves the incorporation of diverse voices or viewpoints within a single storytelling framework. This approach goes beyond the conventional singular narrative voice, allowing for a richer and more varied storytelling experience.
Literal Meaning:
- Multiple Voices: Multivocal narration involves the inclusion of various voices or perspectives within a narrative. This can manifest through different characters, narrators, or even unconventional storytelling elements such as letters, diary entries, or interviews.
- Diverse Narrators: The literal meaning extends to having a multitude of narrators contributing to the overall narrative, each offering their unique insights, experiences, or interpretations of events.
- Polyphonic Structure: The structure of multivocal narration is polyphonic, resembling a symphony of voices rather than a single melody. This complexity adds depth and nuance to the storytelling.
Conceptual Meaning:
- Multiplicity of Truths: In a conceptual sense, multivocal narration challenges the notion of a single, objective truth in storytelling. Instead, it acknowledges that different perspectives can coexist, each contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the narrative.
- Reader Engagement: The concept emphasizes reader engagement as individuals must navigate through the various voices presented. This engagement encourages a more active and participatory reading experience.
- Cultural and Social Commentary: Multivocal narration often serves as a vehicle for exploring diverse cultural, social, or ideological perspectives. It allows for a nuanced exploration of themes and issues by presenting a range of viewpoints.
Multivocal Narration: Definition as a Literary Device
Multivocal narration is a literary device characterized by the use of multiple voices, perspectives, or narrators within a single narrative framework. It diverges from the traditional singular narrative approach, offering a more intricate and diverse storytelling experience. This technique enhances complexity, engages readers with varied viewpoints, and often explores the subjective nature of truth and interpretation.
Multivocal Narration: Types and Examples
| Type of Multivocal Narration | Description | Examples |
| Multiple Narrators | Various characters or entities take turns narrating parts of the story. | “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner |
| Epistolary Format | The narrative unfolds through a collection of letters, diary entries, or documents. | “Dracula” by Bram Stoker |
| Interviews/Testimonies | Narration is presented as a series of interviews or testimonies from different characters. | “Citizen: An American Lyric” by Claudia Rankine |
| Inner Monologues | Readers gain insight into the thoughts and perspectives of multiple characters. | “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf |
| Collage or Fragmented Style | Fragments of narrative, often non-linear, are pieced together to form a cohesive whole. | “If on a winter’s night a traveler” by Italo Calvino |
| Unreliable Narrators | Narrators with conflicting or biased viewpoints challenge the reliability of the narrative. | “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn |
Each type of multivocal narration offers a unique approach to storytelling, enriching the narrative texture and providing readers with a multifaceted understanding of the events and characters within the story.Bottom of Form
Multivocal Narration in Literature: Examples
- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: This classic novel employs multiple narrators, each revealing distinct perspectives and timelines, offering a complex portrayal of a Southern family’s decline.
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: This intricate narrative weaves together six different stories from various time periods and genres, showcasing a diverse range of voices and styles.
- If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino: Calvino’s novel explores the relationship between readers and books through a collage of narrative fragments, creating a unique and interactive reading experience.
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: Woolf uses inner monologues to delve into the minds of multiple characters over the course of a single day in post-World War I London.
- As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: Faulkner employs fifteen different narrators to tell the story of the Bundren family’s journey to bury their mother, showcasing a diverse range of perspectives.
- Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine: This poetic work combines various voices and visual elements to explore racial and social issues, blurring the lines between poetry, essay, and art.
- Dracula by Bram Stoker: Using an epistolary format, Stoker tells the story through a collection of letters, journal entries, and newspaper articles, providing multiple viewpoints on the vampire narrative.
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Chaucer’s masterpiece features a diverse group of pilgrims, each sharing their own tale during their journey, offering a rich tapestry of medieval storytelling.
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: The novel is narrated by the four daughters and wife of an evangelical Baptist who takes his family to the Belgian Congo, providing a multifaceted view of cultural clashes and family dynamics.
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: Roy employs a non-linear narrative and multiple perspectives to tell the story of two twins growing up in post-colonial India, exploring themes of caste, love, and loss.
Multivocal Narration in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Multivocal Narration in Literature | Relevance in Literary Theories |
| Multiple Narrators | Narrative Perspective: Examines how different voices contribute to the overall narrative, impacting the reader’s understanding of events and characters. |
| Epistolary Format | Reader-Response Theory: Explores how the interactive nature of reading letters and documents engages readers, shaping their interpretation of the narrative. |
| Interviews/Testimonies | Postcolonial Theory: Utilizes diverse voices to represent varied cultural perspectives and experiences, often challenging dominant narratives. |
| Inner Monologues | Stream of Consciousness: Investigates the inner thoughts and consciousness of characters, contributing to the exploration of individual psychology. |
| Collage or Fragmented Style | Postmodernism: Reflects the fragmented nature of contemporary experience, challenging traditional narrative structures and inviting reader participation. |
| Unreliable Narrators | Narratology: Examines the impact of unreliable narrators on the construction of narrative meaning, questioning the reliability of storytelling. |
Each type of multivocal narration intersects with different literary theories, offering scholars and readers various lenses through which to analyze and interpret the complexities of storytelling.
Multivocal Narration in Literature: Relevant Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Polyphony | The simultaneous presence of multiple voices or perspectives in a narrative. |
| Subjectivity | The individual viewpoints and interpretations of characters within a story. |
| Intertextuality | The relationship and references between different texts within a narrative. |
| Narrative Plurality | The existence of multiple narratives or storylines within a single work. |
| Focalization | The point of view from which the narrative is presented through a character. |
| Heteroglossia | The coexistence of diverse linguistic styles or registers within a narrative. |
| Reader Response | The theory exploring how readers’ interpretations contribute to the meaning. |
| Deconstruction | The literary theory challenging fixed meanings and questioning binary oppositions. |
| Dialogism | The idea that every utterance or text engages in a dialogue with other texts. |
| Constructed Realities | The notion that reality in literature is shaped and constructed through language. |
Multivocal Narration in Literature: Suggested Readings
Fiction:
- Atwood, Margaret. The Blind Assassin. Knopf, 2000.
- Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. Vintage, 1990.
- Mitchell, David. Cloud Atlas. Random House, 2004.
- Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 1997.
- Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Oxford University Press, 1990.
Literary Theory:
- Barthes, Roland. S/Z: An Essay. Hill and Wang, 1974.
- Bakhtin, Mikhail. The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, 1983.
- Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.
- Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics. Routledge, 2002.
