Narrative Conventions in Literature & Literary Theory

Etymology of Narrative Conventions

The term “narrative conventions” finds its roots in the Latin word “conventus,” which means “an assembly” or “coming together.”

In the context of storytelling, narrative conventions refer to the established and agreed-upon techniques, structures, and patterns that authors, readers, and audiences come together to accept and use as a foundation for creating and understanding narratives.

These conventions have evolved over centuries and across cultures, forming the basis of how stories are constructed and communicated. They encompass elements like plot structure, character development, point of view, and genre-specific norms, shaping the familiar and expected aspects of storytelling.

Concept of Narrative Conventions

 Narrative conventions are the foundational principles and patterns that govern the structure and content of storytelling across various mediums, including literature, film, and oral traditions. These conventions provide a common language and framework for both creators and audiences, enabling effective communication and comprehension of narratives.

They include elements such as the three-act structure, the hero’s journey, and genre-specific tropes. While narrative conventions offer a structured starting point for storytellers, they also allow for creativity and innovation within established norms, enabling the exploration of universal themes and the engagement of audiences with shared storytelling expectations.

Meanings of Narrative Conventions

Aspect	Meaning
Structural Framework	They provide a structural framework for storytelling, offering a blueprint for organizing events, characters, and themes within a narrative.
Genre Expectations	Different genres, such as romance, mystery, or science fiction, have their own narrative conventions, which include specific plot elements, character archetypes, and thematic motifs.
Character Development	These conventions guide the development of characters, defining their roles, arcs, and relationships within the narrative.
Plot Progression	They dictate the progression of the plot, often following patterns like the three-act structure, which includes exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution.
Point of View and Voice	They influence narrative choices regarding the perspective from which the story is told, whether in first-person, third-person, or through an omniscient narrator.
Themes and Motifs	Conventions encompass recurring themes and motifs that are typical within certain types of narratives, contributing to the overall meaning and resonance of the story.
Audience Expectations	They shape audience expectations and engagement, as readers and viewers often rely on these conventions to understand and interpret the narrative.
Cultural and Historical Variations	They may vary across cultures and time periods, reflecting societal norms and values.
Creative Subversion	While conventions offer a framework, authors and creators can subvert or challenge these norms to create innovative and thought-provoking narratives.
Interplay with Innovation	The interplay between adhering to conventions and introducing innovative elements allows for the evolution of storytelling while respecting the foundations of the craft.

List of Narrative Conventions

1. Three-Act Structure: The narrative is divided into three parts—setup, confrontation, and resolution.
2. Hero‘s Journey: The protagonist embarks on an adventure, faces challenges, and undergoes personal growth.
3. Flashbacks: Narrative events that occurred before the current timeline are revealed.
4. Climax: The story’s most intense point of conflict and tension.
5. Deus Ex Machina: An unexpected and improbable event used to resolve a plot’s conflict.
6. Epiphany: A moment of profound realization or self-discovery for a character.
7. Foil Characters: Characters with contrasting traits to highlight the qualities of others.
8. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues that suggest future events.
9. Protagonist vs. Antagonist: Central character(s) in conflict with opposing force(s).
10. In Media Res: Starting the story “in the middle of things.”
11. Red Herring: Misleading clues or information to divert the audience.
12. Narrative Voice: The perspective from which the story is told (first-person, third-person, etc.).
13. Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent deeper meanings or themes.
14. Setting: The time and place where the story occurs.
15. Dialogue: Characters’ spoken interactions and conversations.
16. Irony: A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.
17. Moral Dilemma: A choice between conflicting values or principles.
18. Parallelism: Repeating a theme or motif with variations.
19. Rising Action and Falling Action: The progression toward and resolution of the climax.
20. Closure: Tying up loose ends and providing resolution to the story.
21. Tension: Building suspense and keeping the audience engaged.
22. MacGuffin: An object or goal that drives the plot but may have little intrinsic value.
23. Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something the characters do not.

Definition of Narrative Conventions As a Theoretical Term

Narrative conventions, as a theoretical term in literature and storytelling, refer to the established and widely recognized patterns, structures, and techniques that shape the form and content of narratives.

These conventions encompass the rules and norms that guide the construction of stories, including aspects such as plot development, character archetypes, and thematic elements. They serve as a framework through which authors and audiences engage with and understand narratives, providing a shared language and structure for storytelling.

Narrative Conventions: Theorists, Works And Arguments

Theorists:

1. Joseph Campbell: Known for his work on the “Hero’s Journey,” Campbell argued that many myths and narratives follow a universal pattern of adventure and self-discovery.
2. Vladimir Propp: Propp’s “Morphology of the Folktale” identified common character roles and narrative functions in folktales, revealing recurring conventions in storytelling.
3. Northrop Frye: Frye’s “Anatomy of Criticism” explored archetypal themes and narrative structures, highlighting conventions that transcend specific works.

Notable Works:

1. The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell: In this seminal work, Campbell outlines the monomyth, a narrative pattern found in stories across cultures, demonstrating how narrative conventions are deeply ingrained in human storytelling.
2. Morphology of the Folktale by Vladimir Propp: Propp’s book dissects the structure of folktales and identifies recurring character types and narrative elements, shedding light on narrative conventions.
3. Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye: Frye’s book offers a framework for analyzing literature, emphasizing archetypal themes and narrative conventions that underlie various genres.

Key Arguments:

1. Universal Patterns: These theorists argue that narrative conventions often exhibit universal patterns and themes that resonate with human experiences, transcending cultural and temporal boundaries.
2. Character Archetypes: Propp and others assert that certain character archetypes, such as the hero, villain, and mentor, reappear in narratives, contributing to the predictability and familiarity of storytelling.
3. Structural Framework: The theorists emphasize that narrative conventions provide a structural framework that serves as a foundation for creating and interpreting stories, offering both creators and audiences a shared language for storytelling.

These theorists, works, and arguments illuminate the significance of narrative conventions in shaping the art of storytelling and our understanding of narratives across diverse cultures and time periods.Top of Form

Narrative Conventions And Literary Theories

Theory	Relevance of Narrative Conventions
Structuralism	Structuralist literary theory often explores the underlying patterns and structures in literature. Narrative conventions, including plot structures and character archetypes, are fundamental components of this analysis. Structuralists investigate how these conventions shape the overall meaning and organization of a narrative.
Poststructuralism	Poststructuralist theorists challenge and deconstruct traditional narrative conventions. They question the fixed and stable meanings imposed by conventions and emphasize the fluidity and ambiguity of language and storytelling. Poststructuralism encourages a reevaluation of how narrative conventions influence interpretation, highlighting their limitations and complexities.
Feminist Literary Theory	Feminist theorists examine how narrative conventions can either reinforce or subvert gender roles and power dynamics in literature. They investigate how conventions shape the portrayal of female characters and analyze how alternative narrative structures can challenge traditional norms, promoting a reevaluation of gender representation in literature.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Psychoanalytic literary theory, notably associated with Sigmund Freud, explores the influence of the unconscious mind on literature. Narrative conventions may be viewed as mechanisms through which repressed desires, conflicts, and psychological processes manifest in narratives. Psychoanalytic analysis often delves into how narrative conventions reveal and explore the unconscious aspects of characters and their actions.
Marxist Literary Theory	Marxist theorists analyze how narrative conventions are employed to convey and reinforce class struggle and societal structures in literature. They scrutinize how conventions shape the depiction of social classes, economic systems, and power dynamics. Marxist analysis often reveals how narrative conventions are used to support or challenge existing socio-economic hierarchies.
Deconstruction	Deconstructionists examine the inherent contradictions and ambiguities within narrative conventions. They deconstruct the fixed meanings and structures imposed by conventions, revealing their instability and potential for multiple interpretations. Deconstruction emphasizes the subversion of conventions and explores how they can be dismantled to reveal their inherent complexities.
Reader-Response Theory	Narrative conventions influence the reader’s interpretation and response to a text. Reader-response theorists explore how readers engage with and negotiate narrative conventions, as readers actively contribute to the meaning-making process. The reader’s interactions with conventions play a pivotal role in shaping the text’s interpretation and significance.
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial literary theory examines how narrative conventions have been used to portray colonial and postcolonial experiences. It challenges conventions that may perpetuate colonial power dynamics and explores alternative narrative strategies that provide a platform for marginalized voices and counter-narratives, thus contributing to postcolonial discourse and critique.

Narrative Conventions In Literary Criticism

They hold significant importance in literary criticism as they serve as fundamental tools for analyzing and evaluating literary works. When employed in literary criticism, narrative conventions help critics in several ways:

1. Interpretation: They provide a structured framework for critics to interpret and understand the content, structure, and themes of a literary work. They enable critics to identify recurring patterns, archetypal characters, and thematic elements that shape the narrative’s meaning.
2. Comparison: By recognizing them, critics can compare and contrast works within the same genre or across different literary traditions. This comparative analysis aids in assessing how authors conform to or subvert conventions to convey their unique messages.
3. Evaluation: They offer criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of a literary work. Critics can assess how well an author employs conventions to engage the audience, develop characters, build suspense, or convey thematic depth.
4. Historical and Cultural Context: Understanding them helps critics place a work within its historical and cultural context. It allows them to assess how an author adheres to or challenges the conventions prevalent during the work’s creation, shedding light on the work’s significance.
5. Reader Engagement: They influence how readers engage with a text. Critics can explore how these conventions impact readers’ expectations, emotional responses, and interpretations of the work.
6. Authorial Choices: Criticism involves examining the author’s deliberate choices. Narrative conventions help critics identify the author’s adherence to or deviation from established norms, revealing the author’s intentions, innovations, or subversions.
7. Subversion and Innovation: Critics often investigate how authors subvert or innovate them to create unique and thought-provoking narratives. This analysis deepens the understanding of the work’s artistic and thematic qualities.
8. Cultural Significance: They serve as a lens through which critics examine a work’s cultural, societal, and ideological significance. Critics may explore how conventions reflect or challenge prevailing cultural values and norms.
9. Evolution of Genres: By tracing the evolution of them within specific genres, critics can understand how literary traditions develop over time, responding to changing societal contexts and cultural shifts.
10. Reception and Impact: They play a crucial role in how a work is received and its impact on readers. Critics assess how well an author utilizes conventions to resonate with the intended audience and provoke a response.

In essence, they are indispensable tools in literary criticism, guiding the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works across various genres and time periods. They provide a common language and framework for critics to engage with and assess the rich tapestry of literature.

Suggested Readings

1. Barthes, Roland. S/Z. Hill and Wang, 1974.
2. Chatman, Seymour. Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Cornell University Press, 1978.
3. Cohn, Dorrit. Transparent Minds: Narrative Modes for Presenting Consciousness in Fiction. Princeton University Press, 1978.
4. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, 1980.
5. Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. University of Texas Press, 1968.
6. Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics. Routledge, 2002.
7. Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading. Indiana University Press, 1987.
8. Todorov, Tzvetan. The Poetics of Prose. Cornell University Press, 1977.
9. Toolan, Michael. Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction. Routledge, 2001.
10. Wolf, Werner, et al. The Handbook of Narrative Analysis. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.