Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth
I argue that the universally accepted assumption that in realist fiction a character narrator’s narration contributes to their characterization needs to be complicated. Working with a conception of narrative as rhetoric that highlights readerly interest in the author’s handling of the mimetic, thema...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Humanities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/7/151 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849246491685683200 |
|---|---|
| author | James Phelan |
| author_facet | James Phelan |
| author_sort | James Phelan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | I argue that the universally accepted assumption that in realist fiction a character narrator’s narration contributes to their characterization needs to be complicated. Working with a conception of narrative as rhetoric that highlights readerly interest in the author’s handling of the mimetic, thematic, and synthetic components of narrative, I suggest that the question about narration as characterization is one about the relation between the mimetic (character as possible person) and synthetic (character as invented construct) components. In addition, understanding the mimetic-synthetic relation requires attention to issues at the macro and micro levels of such narratives. At the macro level, I note the importance of (1) the tacit knowledge, shared by both authors and audiences, of the fictionality of character narration, which means authors write and readers read with an interest in its payoffs; and of (2) the recognition that character narration functions simultaneously along two tracks of communication: that between the character narrator and their narratee, and that between the author and their audience. These macro level matters then provide a frame within which authors and readers understand what happens at the micro level. At that level, I identify seven features of a character’s telling that have the potential to be used for characterization—voice, occasion, un/reliability, authority, self-consciousness, narrative control, and aesthetics. I also note that these features have their counterparts in the author’s telling. Finally, I propose that characterization via narration results from the interaction between the salient features of the character’s telling and their counterparts in the author’s telling. I develop these points through the analysis of four diverse case studies: Mark Twain’s <i>Huckleberry Finn</i>, Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Nadine Gordimer’s “Homage,” and Ernest Hemingway’s <i>A Farewell to Arms</i>. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53545766c2a8433ab8d8bc797f7524bf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-53545766c2a8433ab8d8bc797f7524bf2025-08-20T03:58:30ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872025-07-0114715110.3390/h14070151Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged TruthJames Phelan0Project Narrative, Department of English, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USAI argue that the universally accepted assumption that in realist fiction a character narrator’s narration contributes to their characterization needs to be complicated. Working with a conception of narrative as rhetoric that highlights readerly interest in the author’s handling of the mimetic, thematic, and synthetic components of narrative, I suggest that the question about narration as characterization is one about the relation between the mimetic (character as possible person) and synthetic (character as invented construct) components. In addition, understanding the mimetic-synthetic relation requires attention to issues at the macro and micro levels of such narratives. At the macro level, I note the importance of (1) the tacit knowledge, shared by both authors and audiences, of the fictionality of character narration, which means authors write and readers read with an interest in its payoffs; and of (2) the recognition that character narration functions simultaneously along two tracks of communication: that between the character narrator and their narratee, and that between the author and their audience. These macro level matters then provide a frame within which authors and readers understand what happens at the micro level. At that level, I identify seven features of a character’s telling that have the potential to be used for characterization—voice, occasion, un/reliability, authority, self-consciousness, narrative control, and aesthetics. I also note that these features have their counterparts in the author’s telling. Finally, I propose that characterization via narration results from the interaction between the salient features of the character’s telling and their counterparts in the author’s telling. I develop these points through the analysis of four diverse case studies: Mark Twain’s <i>Huckleberry Finn</i>, Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Nadine Gordimer’s “Homage,” and Ernest Hemingway’s <i>A Farewell to Arms</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/7/151character narrationcharacterizationnarrationfictionalityrhetorical narratology<i>Huckleberry Finn</i> |
| spellingShingle | James Phelan Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth Humanities character narration characterization narration fictionality rhetorical narratology <i>Huckleberry Finn</i> |
| title | Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth |
| title_full | Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth |
| title_fullStr | Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth |
| title_short | Narration as Characterization in First-Person Realist Fiction: Complicating a Universally Acknowledged Truth |
| title_sort | narration as characterization in first person realist fiction complicating a universally acknowledged truth |
| topic | character narration characterization narration fictionality rhetorical narratology <i>Huckleberry Finn</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/7/151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamesphelan narrationascharacterizationinfirstpersonrealistfictioncomplicatingauniversallyacknowledgedtruth |