The problem of time in a general narratology

摘要

The profound narrativization of contemporary culture in the large-scale “Narrative Turn” forces narratology to leave the paradigm established on the study of the novel, and a general narratology that embraces all kinds of narratives is urgently called for. The “fundamental retrospectiveness” for the definition of the narrative becomes an obstacle for such a narratology. This essay proposes a new definition for the minimal narrative by removing the “recounting” part, and, based on the new definition, an all-narrative typology as distinguished by three criteria: factuality/fictionality, media, and moods (intentional temporality). Finally the essay attempts a detailed analysis of the live television news since they occupy an important position in today’s culture and emphasizes that the uncertainty of the plot could lead to recycling of intention.