Abstract
The narratological concept of “implied author and implied reader” is typically difficult to pinpoint directly within a text and relates to the levels and number of subjects involved in narrative communication. Since Wayne C. Booth introduced the concept, it has been a topic of considerable debate. Reviewing the evolution of narrative, this article identifies “pre-story discourse” as a narrative shell that originated in oral tradition and was later employed in modern novels for formal exploration and meta-narrative reflection. By utilizing rhetorical techniques to create non-temporality (presence), it fulfills its rhetorical purpose of calling upon readers and conveying genuine values. At this point, the previously elusive “implied author and implied reader” become visible, and the actual existence of the tripartite structure in narrative communication is revealed formally.
Keywords
“pre-story narration”, narratology, oral literature, invocation structure, ethics of narrative communication
First Page
46
Last Page
58
Recommended Citation
Han, Qian, and Wang Jin. 2024. "The Tripartite Structure of Narrative Communication from the Perspective of “Pre-story Discourse”." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44, (5): pp.46-58. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss5/5
