Narrative Space in Literature & Literary Theory

Narrative Space: Etymology and Concept

Narrative Space: Etymology The term “narrative space” originates from the Latin “narrare,” meaning “to recount” or “to tell.”

In literary theory, it pertains to the setting and environment in which a story unfolds, encompassing physical locations, temporal dimensions, and the conceptual landscape.

Understanding its etymology is crucial for comprehending how authors construct the world in which their stories occur, influencing reader engagement and interpretation.

Narrative Space: Concept: It is a foundational concept in literary theory, representing the spatial and temporal framework of a narrative, including physical settings, time periods, and conceptual realms. It significantly influences reader immersion, shaping the narrative’s atmosphere, mood, and context.

Authors use it to create an immersive storytelling experience, and exploring it enhances our understanding of how setting impacts character development and thematic elements in literature.

Narrative Space: Meanings

Aspect	Meaning
Spatial Setting	Physical locations where the story’s events occur, including geography, buildings, and landscapes.
Temporal Framework	Time periods and dimensions in which the narrative unfolds, impacting the storyline (past, present, future).
Conceptual Realm	Imaginative landscape, including dreams, memories, and hypothetical scenarios, contributing to the narrative.
Atmosphere and Mood	Influence on emotional and atmospheric qualities, shaping reader experience and engagement with the narrative.
Contextual Backdrop	Background for character actions and plot development, enhancing reader understanding of the narrative context.
Character Interaction	Spaces where characters interact, affecting relationships, conflicts, and character development throughout the story.
Symbolic Significance	Holding symbolic or metaphorical meanings, contributing to narrative themes and deeper layers of interpretation.
Reader Engagement	Essential for reader immersion, aiding visualization and engagement with the story.
Setting-Character Interaction	Influencing character personalities, choices, and development, revealing the interplay between setting and character.
Thematic Exploration	Serving as a thematic element, conveying messages related to the narrative’s overarching themes.

Narrative Space: Theoretical Term Definition

Narrative space is a theoretical term in literary analysis that encompasses the spatial and temporal dimensions within which a narrative unfolds, including physical settings, temporal periods, and imaginative landscapes.

It plays a fundamental role in shaping the reader’s understanding of the narrative context, character interactions, and thematic exploration.

Authors strategically employ this space to immerse readers in the story, evoke specific atmospheres and moods, and convey symbolic or metaphorical meanings related to the narrative’s themes.

Narrative Space: Theorists, Works, and Arguments

1. Gérard Genette:
   • Work: Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method (1980).
   • Argument: Genette discusses the concept of narrative distance, which involves the degree of detachment or proximity between the narrator and the characters, affecting how the narrative space is presented. He explores the use of narrative voice and its impact on the reader’s perception of this space.
2. Mikhail Bakhtin:
   • Work: The Dialogic Imagination (1981).
   • Argument: Bakhtin’s dialogic theory emphasizes the dynamic interaction of voices and perspectives within the narrative space. He highlights the concept of heteroglossia, where different voices and languages coexist, shaping the narrative space as a site of multiple views and discourses.
3. Dorrit Cohn:
   • Work: Transparent Minds: Narrative Modes for Presenting Consciousness in Fiction (1978).
   • Argument: Cohn focuses on the presentation of characters’ consciousness within the narrative space. She explores how different narrative modes and techniques influence the reader’s access to the characters’ inner thoughts and experiences, thereby shaping this space.
4. William Labov:
   • Work: Language in the Inner City: Studies in the Black English Vernacular (1972).
   • Argument: Labov’s research on narrative analysis extends to the study of oral narratives and how individuals structure their personal narratives in real-life contexts. His work provides insights into the organization of this space in spoken discourse.
5. Roland Barthes:
   • Work: S/Z (1970).
   • Argument: Barthes discusses the role of the reader in constructing narrative space, especially in texts he categorizes as “writerly.” He examines how readers engage with the narrative, interpreting and contributing to the construction of this space within the text.

These theorists and their works offer various insights into the concept and function of this space, ranging from the narrator’s role to the dialogic nature of narratives and the reader’s active engagement in shaping the narrative space.

Narrative Space in Literary Theories

Theory	Relevance
Narratology	In narratology, the study of narratives, the concept of narrative space is essential for understanding the spatial and temporal dimensions of storytelling. Narratologists examine how narrative space is constructed and how it affects the reader’s engagement with the text.
Postcolonial Theory	It is relevant in postcolonial literature and theory, where it can reflect the impact of colonization on physical and cultural landscapes. Authors often use narrative space to convey themes of displacement, identity, and cultural hybridity.
Feminist Theory	Feminist literary criticism considers how narrative space can reflect and reinforce gender roles and power dynamics. The analysis of domestic spaces, settings, and spatial boundaries is crucial in understanding the portrayal of women and their agency in literature.
Eco-Criticism	In eco-criticism, the focus is on the representation of nature and the environment in literature. Narrative spaces is significant in eco-criticism as it explores how authors depict and engage with natural landscapes, ecological concerns, and human-nature relationships.
Psychological Criticism	Psychological literary theories, such as psychoanalysis, examine how narrative spaces represent the inner landscapes of characters’ minds. The narrative space can reflect the conscious and unconscious thoughts, dreams, and psychological experiences of characters.
Postmodernism	Postmodern literature often challenges traditional narrative structures and plays with narrative spaces. Authors may create fragmented or nonlinear narratives that disrupt conventional spatial and temporal boundaries.
Reader Response Theory	Narrative spaces are relevant in reader response theory as it considers how readers engage with and interpret the narrative environment. The reader’s understanding and interpretation are influenced by the author’s construction of this space.
Cultural Studies	Narrative spaces are examined in the context of cultural studies to understand how it reflects cultural, social, and political contexts. The depiction of urban spaces, cultural landscapes, and physical settings can convey cultural values and societal norms.

Narrative Spaces: Application in Critiques

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez: In Márquez’s masterpiece, narrative space serves as a vital component of the magical realism that defines the novel. The fictional town of Macondo becomes a character in its own right, shaping the events and the destinies of the Buendía family. The space within Macondo is filled with mystical elements and supernatural occurrences, creating a unique narrative space that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. This narrative space allows Márquez to explore themes of time, memory, and the cyclical nature of history, adding depth to the story.
2. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: Woolf’s novel is a prime example of how narrative space can be used to delve into the inner thoughts and experiences of characters. The narrative is set in a single day in London, and the narrative space alternates between the external events of the city and the internal monologues of the characters. This dual narrative space allows Woolf to explore the inner lives and emotions of her characters, providing insight into their mental landscapes. The city of London becomes a backdrop that reflects the characters’ thoughts and feelings, emphasizing the connection between the external and internal narrative spaces.
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy: McCarthy’s novel employs narrative spaces to convey the desolate and post-apocalyptic world in which the story unfolds. The physical landscape is a character in itself, with the bleak, ashen setting mirroring the emotional and psychological journey of the father and son. The narrative spaces are devoid of hope and filled with danger, reflecting the harsh realities of survival in a devastated world. This narrative space plays a crucial role in conveying the novel’s themes of human endurance, love, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.
4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: Zafón’s novel is set in the enchanting city of Barcelona, and the narrative spaces of the city becomes a central element of the story. The city’s mysterious and labyrinthine streets provide the backdrop for a tale of literary intrigue and secrets. The narrative spaces of Barcelona is imbued with a sense of history, culture, and hidden stories, reflecting the novel’s themes of the power of literature and the preservation of memory. Zafón’s use of space in the form of the city itself adds richness and depth to the narrative, making Barcelona an integral part of the storytelling.

These critiques demonstrate how this space can be a versatile and essential element in different genres and styles of literature, contributing to the depth and complexity of the narratives.

Narrative Space: Relevant Terms

1. Setting: The physical and temporal backdrop in which the narrative takes place, encompassing locations, time periods, and environmental conditions.
2. Psychogeography: The study of how physical spaces and locations influence human emotions, behaviors, and experiences, often used to analyze such spaces.
3. Topography: The geographical features of a location, including its terrain, landmarks, and natural elements, which can shape the narrative environment.
4. Diegetic Space: The space within the narrative world where characters and events exist and unfold, as opposed to the extradiegetic space outside the story.
5. Heterotopia: A concept introduced by Michel Foucault, referring to spaces that exist outside of the normal, where different rules and structures apply, often used to analyze unique narrative spaces.
6. Liminal Space: A transitional or in-between spaces, symbolizing change or transformation, frequently used in narratives to represent character development.
7. Interior Monologue: A narrative technique that allows readers access to a character’s inner thoughts and emotions, revealing their mental and emotional narrative space.
8. Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound: In film and multimedia narratives, the distinction between sounds that occur within the narrative space and those added for the audience’s benefit.
9. Physical Environment: The tangible aspects of the narrative spaces, including landscapes, buildings, and objects, influencing character actions and interactions.
10. Spatial Metaphor: The use of space-related language and imagery to convey abstract concepts or emotions, often used to create a unique narrative space within the reader’s mind.

Narrative Space: Suggested Readings

1. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, 1983.
2. Foucault, Michel. “Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias.” In Rethinking Architecture, edited by Neil Leach, 1986.
3. Certeau, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life. University of California Press, 1984.
4. Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. University of Minnesota Press, 2001.
5. Kristeva, Julia. The Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Columbia University Press, 1982.
6. Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. University of Texas Press, 1968.
7. Moretti, Franco. Atlas of the European Novel 1800-1900. Verso, 1998.
8. Jameson, Fredric. The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act. Cornell University Press, 1982.