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NARRATIVE action autobiographical-stories conflict desire event life story motivation myth mythos/mythoi narrating narrative narrative function narrative pt of vw narrative routines narrative structure narrative unit plotting story storyworld Complete Term List

 

Dictionary Definition from Wordnet

1. (8) narrative, narration, story, tale -- (a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program; "his narrative was interesting"; "Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children")

 

 

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Working Definition:

The recounting of situated events

Disciplinary Definitions:

narratlve. The recounting (as product and process, object and act, structure and structuration) of one or more real or ficti­tious EVENTS communicated by one, two, or several (more or less overt) NARRATORS to one, two, or several (more or less overt) NARRATEES. Such (possibly interesting) texts as "Electrons are constituents of at­oms," "Mary is tall and Peter is small," "All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; Socrates is mortal," and "Roses are red / Violets are blue / Sugar is sweet / And so are you" do not constitute narratives, since they do not represent any event. Moreover, a dramatic performance representing (many fascinating) events does not constitute a narrative either, since these events, rather than being recounted, occur directly on stage.* On the other hand, even such possibly uninteresting texts as "The man opened the door," "The goldfish died," and "The glass fell on the floor" are narratives, according to this definition. 11n order to dis­tinguish narrative from mere event description, some narratologists (Labov, Prince, Rimmon‑Kenan) have defined it as the recounting of at least two real or fictive events (or one situation and one event), neither of which logically presupposes or entails the other. In order to distinguish it from the recounting of a random series of situations and events, narratologists (Danto, Greimas, Todorov) have also argued that narrative must have a continuant subject and constitute a whole. Prince Dictionary of Narratology

Comments:

*I regard a film as a "recounting" rather than as a direct occurence. Similarly a drama can be regarded as a narrative since it is composed in writing by the playwright.

[I distinguish between a narrative, a story, and a configuration. A narrative is the most comprehensive category and both stories and configurations are narratives. And, though all configurations are explicit or implicit stories, not all stories are configurations since they may not be configured by their audiences (entailing transpositions). See configuration.]

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