Foundations of Narrative Theory
Added on 2022-12-14
5 Pages1199 Words86 Views
|
|
|
Running head: NARRATIVE THEORY
FOUNDATONS OF NARRATIVE THEORY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
FOUNDATONS OF NARRATIVE THEORY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note
1NARRATIVE THEORY
Introduction
The building of a narrative is underpinned by several aspects, one of the most crucial
being the characters in the text. The generation of a character is neither random, nor is it
independent of the control factors that entail the narrative, like the environment, background
and setting. Gaiman’s 2008 story ‘The Graveyard Book” is a work of fiction that depicts the
life of a boy whose parents were murdered when he was a toddler and was adopted by a
family of ghosts in the graveyard. The background of the story is supernatural and through
the focus on a human entity amongst non-living beings, attribute a dispute between the
readers’ personal alignment of the self with the character. In a narrative, as Bal and
Boheemen (2009) identify, the differences between an actor and a character is of profound
significance. While the actor can refer to both the living and non-living elements in a story
serving the purpose of abstract components connecting the framework of the story together.
On the other hand, character is the element that displays more humane attributes than an actor
irrespective of whether they are human or not. In this essay, the character of Scarlett is
analysed from the viewpoint of an actor as well as a character and the steady transition from
being an actor in a fabula to being a character is highlighted.
Discussion
A character in a narrative is described by Bal and Boheemen (2009) as a ‘complex
semantic unit’ which we as readers identify as approximate human or non-human beings and
grow to either like or dislike. In Gaiman’s ‘The Graveyard Book’, our encounters with
entities that we can identify as literal humans are restricted to the main character Bod, his
once alive parents, their murdered Jack, and his friend Scarlett and her parents. Scarlett plays
a significant role in establishing the whole actor-character transition. While in the story
Scarlett plays the role of just another element for the steady transition of the story from one
Introduction
The building of a narrative is underpinned by several aspects, one of the most crucial
being the characters in the text. The generation of a character is neither random, nor is it
independent of the control factors that entail the narrative, like the environment, background
and setting. Gaiman’s 2008 story ‘The Graveyard Book” is a work of fiction that depicts the
life of a boy whose parents were murdered when he was a toddler and was adopted by a
family of ghosts in the graveyard. The background of the story is supernatural and through
the focus on a human entity amongst non-living beings, attribute a dispute between the
readers’ personal alignment of the self with the character. In a narrative, as Bal and
Boheemen (2009) identify, the differences between an actor and a character is of profound
significance. While the actor can refer to both the living and non-living elements in a story
serving the purpose of abstract components connecting the framework of the story together.
On the other hand, character is the element that displays more humane attributes than an actor
irrespective of whether they are human or not. In this essay, the character of Scarlett is
analysed from the viewpoint of an actor as well as a character and the steady transition from
being an actor in a fabula to being a character is highlighted.
Discussion
A character in a narrative is described by Bal and Boheemen (2009) as a ‘complex
semantic unit’ which we as readers identify as approximate human or non-human beings and
grow to either like or dislike. In Gaiman’s ‘The Graveyard Book’, our encounters with
entities that we can identify as literal humans are restricted to the main character Bod, his
once alive parents, their murdered Jack, and his friend Scarlett and her parents. Scarlett plays
a significant role in establishing the whole actor-character transition. While in the story
Scarlett plays the role of just another element for the steady transition of the story from one
End of preview
Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.