Journal of Literary Criticism

Journal of Literary Criticism

The Representation of Narratorial Mode of Postmodern Novels According to Simpson's Linguistic-Literary Model: A Case Study of "The Possible Night"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Fatemeh Fouladi
Ferdows Aghagolzadeh
Arsalan Golfam
Linguistics Department, Humanities Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Some linguistic theories claim that they have the capacity of describing and explaining all kinds of narratives, one of which is Simpson's linguistic-literary model. This essay, in a descriptive-analytic method, studies narratorial mode of The Possible Night by Mohammad Hassan Shahsavari according to the model mentioned, in order to show characteristics of the narrative structure of this postmodern novel and also evaluate the efficiency of Simpson's narrative analysis model in studying postmodern novels. Extracting essential textual instruments like languages and intra-lingual variations, different types of process, modes of speech and thought presentation, words signifying modality, analepses, prolepses and intertextual relations and analyzing them, it showed that this novel is analyzable according to five units of Simpson’s model. Languages and idiolects of characters represent their social and cultural levels, material process has been used more than other processes, this story is narrated in the first-person and from the viewpoint of participating character-narrators, free direct thought is found more than other types of speech and thought presentation, dominating modality is negative and this story involves intertextual relations in different fields such as places, characters and literary, artistic and philosophical works. However, textual structure of this novel is not analyzable through Simpson's model.
Keywords
The Possible Night
postmodern novel
Simpson
narratology
Baktir, H. (2009). Postmodern narrative elements in Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Sayι, 2, 22/8/2018. Received from: https://dergipark.org.tr/download/article-file/219509.
Johnstone, B. (2008). Discourse analysis. Malden, Oxford and Victoria: Blackwell Publishing.
Kafalenos, E. (1992). Toward a typology of indeterminacy in postmodern narrative. Comparative Literature, 44(4), 1/8/2018. from: www.jstor.org.
Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in language: a semiotic approach to literature and art. New York: Columbia University Press.
Muhlstock, R. L. (2014). Literature in the Labyrinth: classical myth and postmodern multicursal fiction. PhD Dissertation. State University of New York. 22/8/2018. Received from: https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/1620249736.html?FMT=AB.
Payandeh, H. (2010). Postmodern figures of speech in The Possible Night novel: possible narratives (in Farsi). Shargh Newspaper, 1001 & 1002.
Pirouz, Gh. R., Moghaddasi, Z., & Fotovvat, M. (2011). A study of postmodern components in Lady Azadeh and Her Author novel by Reza Barahani (in Farsi). Sociology of Art and Literature, 3(1), 133-157.
Rahim Beiki, S., Barati, M., & Hashemi. M. (2016). Analysis of rhetorical and ideological levels of language in Iranian postmodern novels (in Farsi). Literary Criticism Quarterly, 9(33), 151-175.
Shahsavari, M. H. (2009). The possible night (in Farsi). Tehran: Cheshmeh Publishing.
Simpson, P. (2004). Stylistics, a resource book for students. London and New York: Routledge.
Todorov T. (1998). Mikhail Bakhtin: the dialogical principle (translated into Farsi by Daryoush Karimi).  Tehran: Markaz Publishing.
Toolan, M. (2001). Narrative, a critical linguistic introduction. London and New York: Routledge.
Journal of Literary Criticism
Volume 5, Issue 9
March 2021
Pages 360-335

  • Receive Date 20 July 2019
  • Revise Date 15 October 2019
  • Accept Date 12 February 2020