A Theory of Narrative
by Rick Altman
On This Page
Description
Narrative is a powerful element of human culture, storing and sharing the cherished parts of our personal memories and giving structure to our laws, entertainment, and history. We experience narrative in words, pictures, and film, yet regardless of how the tale is told, story remains independent from the media that makes it concrete. Narrative follows humans wherever they travel and adapts readily to new forms of communication. Constantly evolving and always up-to-date, narrative is a show more necessary strategy of human expression and a fundamental component of human identity.In orde show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
eowynfaramir Excellently written and lucid explication of narrative theory.
Member Reviews
This is an excellent introduction to narratology and the study of narrative. In Chapter One, Altman offers a clear overview of "The Traditional Understanding of Narrative" and his suggestions for "A New Approach to Narrative Analysis."
Chapter Two is a tour-de-force study of The Song of Roland, a medieval Anglo-Saxon epic (which in my opinion shows clear evidence of influencing Tolkien). I reread this chapter recently because I read The Song of Roland for the first time. Altman's ideas about "following patterns," "symmetry," "integration," and "polarity adjustment" are insightful and beautifully expressed.
Altman's greatest strength in my opinion is that he brings the reader up to an understanding quickly, and does not obfuscate show more (bewilder, confuse, or stupefy) while making his case for his theories. show less
Chapter Two is a tour-de-force study of The Song of Roland, a medieval Anglo-Saxon epic (which in my opinion shows clear evidence of influencing Tolkien). I reread this chapter recently because I read The Song of Roland for the first time. Altman's ideas about "following patterns," "symmetry," "integration," and "polarity adjustment" are insightful and beautifully expressed.
Altman's greatest strength in my opinion is that he brings the reader up to an understanding quickly, and does not obfuscate show more (bewilder, confuse, or stupefy) while making his case for his theories. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
7 Works 255 Members
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Theory of Narrative
- Original publication date
- 2008
- People/Characters
- Roland and Charlemagne (Song of Roland | Scarlet Letter)
- Important events
- Crusades
- First words
- Among human endeavors, few are more widely spread or more generally endowed with cultural importance than narrative--the practice of storytelling. Not only are stories universally told, stored, and analyzed, but also they reg... (show all)ularly occupy a place of honor in society.
- Quotations
- If we would understand the ways in which humans interact, we must take up the challenge of narrative. What is it? How does it make meaning? (1).
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 28
- Popularity
- 984,355
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (5.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
