Narrative Identity: Definition of Theoretical Term
Narrative identity, as a theoretical term, encapsulates the dynamic process through which individuals construct and understand their sense of selfhood by organizing life experiences into coherent and meaningful narratives.
Rooted in the intersection of psychology and narrative theory, it posits that personal identity is intricately linked to the stories individuals tell about their lives, shaping their understanding of who they are and how they fit into the broader fabric of existence.
This conceptual framework highlights the active role individuals play in authoring their life stories, emphasizing the ongoing, interpretative nature of identity formation through narrative construction.
Narrative Identity: Meanings and Concept
| Meanings and Concepts |
| Narrative Construction |
| – The process of shaping one’s identity through storytelling. |
| – The selection and interpretation of life events to create a coherent life story. |
| Autobiographical Reasoning |
| – Reflecting on personal experiences to derive meaning and understanding of one’s identity. |
| – Connecting past events to present identity, creating a narrative continuity. |
| Agency and Authorship |
| – The individual’s active role in constructing and authoring their life narrative. |
| – Taking ownership of the stories that shape personal identity. |
| Cohesion and Coherence |
| – The organization and logical flow of life events in a narrative, creating a sense of unity. |
| – Coherence reflects the consistency and stability of one’s identity. |
| Multiple Narratives |
| – The recognition that individuals may have multiple, sometimes conflicting, narratives of their identity. |
| – Different aspects of identity emphasized in various contexts and relationships. |
| Cultural and Social Influences |
| – How cultural and societal narratives influence the formation of identity. |
| – Negotiating personal stories within broader cultural and social frameworks. |
| Temporal Dimension |
| – The recognition that identity evolves over time, shaped by ongoing experiences. |
| – Reinterpretation and revision of life stories as individuals grow and change. |
| Sense of Self and Purpose |
| – How narrative identity contributes to a sense of selfhood and purpose in life. |
| – The role of personal narratives in providing meaning and direction. |
| Narrative Identity in Trauma |
| – The impact of traumatic experiences on the construction of one’s life narrative. |
| – The potential for resilience and growth through narrative reconstruction after trauma. |
Narrative Identity: Theorists, Works and Argument
| Theorist | Key Works | Main Argument |
| Dan P. McAdams | The Stories We Live By (2018) | McAdams argues that identity is constructed through the creation and interpretation of life narratives, emphasizing the role of storytelling in shaping one’s sense of self. |
| Paul Ricoeur | Time and Narrative (1984-1988) | Ricoeur explores the intertwining of time and narrative, emphasizing the importance of narrative identity in understanding the temporal dimension of human existence and the ongoing nature of self-construction. |
| Erving Goffman | The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959) | Goffman’s dramaturgical approach contends that individuals perform various roles in social interactions, contributing to the construction of their narrative identities within societal frameworks. |
| Oliver Sacks | The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1985) | While not a narrative identity theorist, Sacks’ clinical narratives demonstrate the impact of neurological disorders on personal identity, offering insights into the fragility and adaptability of narrative constructions. |
| Jerome Bruner | Acts of Meaning (1990) | Bruner emphasizes the importance of narrative as a fundamental mode of human cognition, arguing that individuals use narrative structures to make sense of the world and construct their identities. |
| Mary Field Belenky et al. | Women’s Ways of Knowing (1986) | This collaborative work explores women’s epistemological development through narrative, shedding light on how storytelling contributes to the formation of women’s identity and knowledge structures. |
| Erik Erikson | Identity: Youth and Crisis (1968) | Erikson’s psychosocial theory posits that identity formation is a lifelong process involving the resolution of crises. He argues that individuals develop coherent narrative identities by successfully navigating these psychosocial stages. |
| Sara Ahmed | The Promise of Happiness (2010) | Ahmed’s work engages with narrative identity through the lens of happiness, examining how societal expectations and cultural narratives shape individuals’ quests for happiness and influence the stories they tell about themselves. |
Narrative Identity: Major Characteristics
- Personal Storytelling: Individuals construct their identities through personal storytelling, selecting and interpreting life events to create a coherent narrative.
Example: An individual may narrate their journey of overcoming adversity, emphasizing personal growth and resilience.
- Autobiographical Reasoning: Reflection on personal experiences to derive meaning and understanding of one’s identity, connecting past events to present identity.
Example: A person reflects on past challenges, drawing connections to how those experiences have shaped their current beliefs and values.
- Agency and Authorship: Individuals actively author their life narratives, taking ownership of the stories that contribute to the formation of their identity.
Example: Someone consciously shapes their narrative by highlighting specific achievements and moments of self-determination.
- Cohesion and Coherence: The narrative exhibits organization and logical flow, creating a sense of unity in the storytelling and reflecting a stable identity.
Example: A person’s life story unfolds in a coherent manner, with each chapter contributing to a comprehensive understanding of their character.
- Multiple Narratives: Acknowledgment that individuals may have multiple, sometimes conflicting, narratives of their identity in different contexts.
Example: A professional identity at work may differ from a personal identity within a close-knit community, reflecting the multiplicity of roles.
- Cultural and Social Influences: Recognition of how cultural and societal narratives impact the construction of individual identities.
Example: An individual incorporates cultural values into their life story, showcasing the influence of cultural expectations on their identity.
- Temporal Dimension: Understanding that narrative identities evolve over time, shaped by ongoing experiences and subject to reinterpretation.
Example: A person revisits their past narrative, adding new insights and perspectives gained through later experiences.
- Sense of Self and Purpose: Narrative identities contribute to an individual’s sense of selfhood and purpose in life, providing meaning and direction.
Example: Someone frames their life story around a central theme, such as a pursuit of knowledge or a commitment to social justice.
- Narrative Identity in Trauma: Recognition of how traumatic experiences impact the construction and reconstruction of one’s life narrative.
Example: A survivor of a traumatic event may reshape their narrative, emphasizing resilience and post-traumatic growth.
- Dynamic Nature: Narrative identities are dynamic, subject to revisions and adaptations as individuals grow and change over time.
Example: An individual’s narrative undergoes adjustments to reflect evolving beliefs, experiences, and life stages.
Narrative Identity: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Relevance of Narrative Identity |
| Postcolonialism | Narrative identity is crucial in postcolonial literature, exploring how individuals construct identities within and in response to colonial contexts, reflecting cultural, social, and personal transformations. |
| Feminist Theory | Feminist literature often engages with narrative identity, examining how women’s stories challenge or conform to societal expectations, contributing to the broader discourse on female identity and agency. |
| Psychoanalytic Theory | Narrative identity aligns with psychoanalytic perspectives, as literature becomes a space to explore the complexities of the unconscious mind, personal history, and the formation of characters’ identities. |
| Existentialism | Existentialist literature delves into the existential quest for meaning and self-identity, with characters often grappling with the creation and reinterpretation of their narratives in the face of existential challenges. |
| Postmodernism | Postmodern literature questions traditional notions of identity, often adopting fragmented or deconstructed narratives that challenge the stability of characters’ identities, aligning with the postmodernist critique of fixed meanings. |
| Feminist Poststructuralism | This theory explores how power structures influence the construction of narrative identities, with literature serving as a space to deconstruct and critique dominant discourses on gender and identity. |
| Structuralism | In structuralist literary analysis, narrative identity plays a role in understanding the function of characters within a larger narrative structure, emphasizing the interplay between individual and communal stories. |
| Reader-Response Theory | Narrative identity is relevant as readers engage with characters’ narratives, contributing to their own interpretations and constructions of meaning, highlighting the interactive nature of storytelling. |
| Critical Race Theory | Critical race literature often explores how narrative identity intersects with racial identity, examining the impact of societal narratives on individuals’ understanding of race and the construction of racialized identities. |
| Psychoanalytic Feminism | This theory combines psychoanalytic and feminist perspectives to analyze how characters’ narratives in literature reflect and resist gendered power dynamics, offering insights into the construction of gendered identities. |
In these literary theories, narrative identity becomes a lens through which authors explore and critique various aspects of human existence, societal norms, and the complexities of identity formation. Characters’ narratives contribute to larger conversations within these theoretical frameworks, enriching the exploration of individual and collective identities in literature.
Narrative Identity: Application in Critiques
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead:
- Critique: In Whitehead’s novel, the narrative identity of Elwood Curtis is intricately woven with themes of systemic racism and injustice. The construction of Elwood’s identity unfolds within the context of a brutal reform school, reflecting the broader narrative of racial inequality. The novel explores how Elwood’s personal story becomes entangled with the collective history of racial injustice, emphasizing the impact of societal structures on individual identity.
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett:
- Critique: Bennett’s novel delves into the narrative identities of twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, who take divergent paths in life—one embracing her Black identity, the other passing as white. The narrative intricately explores the complexities of racial and gender identity, demonstrating how personal choices shape individual narratives within broader societal contexts.
- The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen:
- Critique: Nguyen’s novel, narrated by a nameless protagonist who is a Communist spy, intertwines personal and political narratives. It reflects the protagonist’s internal struggles with loyalty and identity, providing a lens through which the novel critiques the impact of ideological conflicts on individual subjectivity.
- The Testaments by Margaret Atwood:
- Critique: Atwood’s sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale” continues to explore the narrative identities within the dystopian world of Gilead. The novel introduces new perspectives, emphasizing how storytelling remains a powerful tool for resistance and the reclamation of agency within a totalitarian regime. The characters’ narratives contribute to a broader critique of oppressive systems and the resilience of individual identity.
These critiques feature recent novels with titles in bold italics, providing insights into how narrative identity is depicted and analyzed in contemporary literature.
Narrative Identity: Relevant Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Narrative Identity | Construction of self through storytelling and life narratives. |
| Autobiographical Reasoning | Reflecting on personal experiences to derive meaning and understanding. |
| Temporal Dimension | Recognition that narrative identity evolves over time. |
| Coherence | The logical and organized flow of life events in a narrative. |
| Agency | The active role individuals play in authoring their narratives. |
| Multiple Narratives | Acknowledgment that individuals may have conflicting identities in different contexts. |
| Cultural Influence | The impact of cultural narratives on the construction of identity. |
| Resilience | The ability of narrative identity to adapt and recover from challenges. |
| Reader-Response | The interactive nature of narrative identity as readers engage with stories. |
| Dynamic Nature | The fluid and evolving quality of narrative identity over the lifespan. |
Narrative Identity: Suggested Readings
- McAdams, Dan P. The Stories We Live By. Oxford University Press, 2018.
- Ricoeur, Paul. Time and Narrative. University of Chicago Press, 1984-1988.
- Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books, 1959.
- Sacks, Oliver. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Touchstone, 1985.
- Bruner, Jerome. Acts of Meaning. Harvard University Press, 1990.
- Belenky, Mary Field et al. Women’s Ways of Knowing. Basic Books, 1986.
- Erikson, Erik. Identity: Youth and Crisis. W. W. Norton & Company, 1968.
- Ahmed, Sara. The Promise of Happiness. Duke University Press, 2010.