Narrative theory : core concepts and critical debates / David Herman ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Herman, David, 1962-

Series:

Theory and interpretation of narrative series

Theory and interpretation of narrative

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Narration (Rhetoric).

Physical Description:

xiv, 280 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Columbus : Ohio State University Press, [2012]

Summary:

Narrative Theory: Core Concepts and Critical Debates addresses two frequently asked questions about narrative studies: "what is narrative theory?" and "how do different approaches to narrative relate to each other?" In engaging with these questions, the book demonstrates the diversity and vitality of the field and promotes a broader dialogue about its assumptions, methods, and purposes.

In Part One, the co-authors explore the scope and aims of narrative from four distinct perspectives: rhetorical (Phelan and Rabinowitz), feminist (Warhol), mind-oriented (Herman), and unnatural (Richardson). Using case studies (Huckleberry Finn, Persuasion, On Chesil Beach, and Midnight's Children, respectively), the co-authors explain their different takes on the same core concepts: authors, narrators, narration; plot, time, and progression; space, setting, and perspective; character; reception and the reader; and narrative values. In Part Two, the co-authors respond to one another's views. As they discuss the relation of the approaches to each other, they highlight significant current debates and map out key developments in the field.

Accessibly written, Narrative Theory can serve as the basis for a wide range of courses, even as its incisive presentation of four major approaches and its lively give-and-take about the powers and limitations of each make the book an indispensable resource for specialists. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1. Perspectives : rhetorical, feminist, mind-oriented, antimimetic: 1. Introduction : the approaches: Narrative as rhetoric / James Phelan and Peter J. Rabinowitz ; A feminist approach to narrative / Robyn Warhol ; Exploring the nexus of narrative and mind / David Herman ; Antimimetic, unnatural, and postmodern narrative theory / Brian Richardson

2. Authors, narrators, narration / James Phelan ... [et al.]

3. Time, plot, and progression / James Phelan ... [et al.]

4. Narrative worlds : space, setting, perspective / James Phelan ... [et al.]

5. Character / James Phelan ... [et al.]

6. Reception and the reader / James Phelan ... [et al.]

7. Narrative values, aesthetic values / James Phelan ... [et al.]

Part 2. Responses: Response by James Phelan and Peter J. Rabinowitz ; Response by Robyn Warhol ; Response by David Herman ; Response by Brian Richardson.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-261) and index.

ISBN:

9780814251843

0814251846

9780814211861

0814211860

9780814292853

0814292852

OCLC:

767565948