Theorie et pratique de la narrativite

The theory and practice of narrativity. First part : theory. Second part : practice

• Auteur / Autrice : Philip Sturgess
• Direction : Hubert Teyssandier
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Études anglaises
• Date : Soutenance en 1990
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 3

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Technique

Roman

Narration

Résumé

Cette these a trait a la notion de narrativite. Elle se divise en deux parties. La premiere concerne la theorie de la narrativite, et la deuxieme les facons dont la narrativite fonctionne dans la pratique. Le denominateur commun entre les deux parties est un concept theorique que j'ai developpe, et que j'appelle : "logique de la narrativite". C'est ce concept qui unifie mon argumentation dans l'ensemble de cette these. La premiere partie de la these se divise en six chapitres. Le premier chapitre fournit une clarification detaillee de la notion de narrativite. Le chapitre 2 presente dans le detail ma propre approche theorique. Les chapitres 3 et 4 presentent deux approches controversees du recit, a savoir la deconstruction et la critique marxiste. Mon but est de faire apparaitre les problemes de leur argumentation. Le chapitre 5 presente une analyse critique des idees de la structure narrative et de la forme spatiale. Dans le chapitre 6 j'examine l'importante contribution francaise a ce champ de recherche, en particulier le travail de claude bremond, de paul ricoeur et de roland barthes. La deuxieme partie de la these se divise en quatre chapitres. Dans cette partie j'ai employe le concept de logique de la narrativite pour analyser quatre romans, qui representent les quatre "types" narratifs principaux : under western eyes de joseph conrad (recit desagence); ulysses de james joyce (recit de representation); at swim-two-birds de flann o'brien (recit metafictionnel); darkness at noon d'arthur koestler (recit sequentiel).

This thesis deals with the notion of narrativity. It is divided into two parts. The first part concerns the theory of narrativity, and the second part the ways in which narrativity functions in practice. The common denominator between the two parts is a theoretical concept which i have developed and which is called "a logic of narrativity". It is thi concept which unifies my argument throughout the theis. The first part of the thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter provides a detailed clarification of the notion of narrativity. Chapter 2 present my own theoretical approach in detail. Chapters 3 and 4 present two controversial approaches to narrative, namely deconstruction and marxist criticism. My aim is to reveal the problems in their methods of argument. Chapter 5 presents a critical analysis of the ideas of narrative structure and spatial form. In chapter 6 i examine the important french contribution to this field of research, in particular the work of claude bremond, of paul ricoeur and of roland barthes. The second part of the thesis is divided into four chapters. In this part i have used the concept of a logic of narrativity to analyse four novels, which represent the four principal narrative "types" : joseph conrad's under western eyes (dis-ordered narrative) ; james joyce's ulysses (representation); flann o'brien's at swim-two-birds (metafiction); arthur koestler's darkness at noon 'sequential).