Time is one of the core categories of analysis in narratology. With Genette, we can distinguish between the three aspects of order, duration, and frequency.

The category of order refers to the arrangement of the individual narrative episodes, which follows either a temporally linear or an irregular scheme. In non-chronological arrangement procedures of individual scenes, either a prolepsis (flashforward) or analepsis is given (flashback). In Virgil's Aeneid, books 2 and 3 comprise an extensive analepsis because the events narrated there chronologically belong to the time before book 1. In contrast, the foreshadowing of Augustus and the here and now of Virgilian Rome in Book 6 (Aeneas' visit to the underworld) form a prolepsis with a view to an event that temporally transgresses the boundaries of the narrated world. Duration addresses the question of whether the 'narrating time' (i.e., the duration of the narrative act) is shorter, longer, or identical in relation to the 'story time' (i.e., the duration of the respective events). For example, in direct (dialogic) character speech the relationship between 'narrating time' and 'story time' is identical. The case is different in a summary, i.e., the narration of long-lasting events that are dealt with in a relatively short 'narrating time'. In addition, there can be a narrative pause, i.e., a narrative digression without connection to the actual plot, or an ellipsis, i.e., the omission of entire events (Fludernik 2009, 151–152).The category of duration makes aware of the rhythm of a narrative and points to an acceleration and deceleration of the narrative tempo. Frequency, on the other hand, refers to the question how often individual events are narrated. For example, the eventfulness of an action can vary gradually depending on the frequency of its narration.

Relevant for temporal analyses is the fundamental distinction between fabula and story (Genette speaks of histoire and récit): while story refers to the narration (narrative), fabula refers to the narrated event as we reconstruct it as narratees based on the narrative (Martinez/Scheffel 2009, 26; de Jong 2014, 38 & 76–78). In the case of the Aeneid, the fabula begins with the fall of Troy recounted in Book 2, while the story in Book 1 begins seven (odyssey) years later with the sea storm and the landing at Carthage motivated by it. The temporal course of an event does not require deixis, because the passing of time corresponds to the horizon of expectation in our world knowledge. In contrast, temporal constellations such as simultaneity (synchronicity) must be explicitly indicated (e.g. by time adverbs such as 'at the same time'). The opposite is true for space (Fludernik 2009, 42–44); here, the change in space has to be indicated (e.g., by verbs of movement: figure A 'moves' from space x to space y).

back