Literary Theory: Jakobson & Genette PDF

### 1. **Jakobson’s Poetic Function** - **Background**: Roman Jakobson was a key figure in structuralist linguistics and literary theory. He proposed a model of communication that includes six functions of language. The **poetic function** is one of these and is particularly relevant in the conte...

### 1. **Jakobson’s Poetic Function** - **Background**: Roman Jakobson was a key figure in structuralist linguistics and literary theory. He proposed a model of communication that includes six functions of language. The **poetic function** is one of these and is particularly relevant in the context of literary analysis. - **The Six Functions of Language (Jakobson)**: 1. **Referential**: Focuses on the message's content and its reference to the world. 2. **Expressive**: Conveys the speaker’s emotions or attitudes. 3. **Conative**: Aimed at influencing the behavior of the listener (e.g., commands, requests). 4. **Phatic**: Ensures that the communication channel is open and functioning (e.g., greetings). 5. **Metalingual**: Used for clarifying the meaning of words or expressions within the communication (e.g., definitions). 6. **Poetic**: Focuses on the form of the message itself, the way the language is used. - **Poetic Function**: - **Definition**: The poetic function is the focus on the *form* of the message, where the structure, sound, and style of language become central. The *way* something is said is just as important as what is said. - **Application in Literature**: In literature, the poetic function emphasizes the aesthetic qualities of language. This includes the use of rhyme, meter, rhythm, metaphor, and alliteration. It directs attention to the text itself, making the structure and sound integral to the meaning and effect of the work. - **Example**: In poetry, the poetic function is the most prominent, as poets deliberately manipulate language (rhythm, rhyme, word choice) to create particular emotional or intellectual effects, as seen in T.S. Eliot’s *The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock*. - **Importance**: The poetic function in literature suggests that meaning is not just conveyed through the content of a work, but also through the form and technique that structure the work. Literary works become "objects" to be analyzed for how form contributes to the overall aesthetic and communicative experience. --- ### 2. **Genette’s Narrative Grammar** - **Background**: Gérard Genette was a French literary theorist who made significant contributions to narrative theory, particularly through his work on *narrative discourse*. He extended structuralist ideas into the analysis of narrative form. - **Key Concepts of Narrative Grammar**: Genette proposed a system of analyzing narrative texts by examining several key components of *narrative discourse*. These components include: 1. **Narrative Time (Tempo)**: - **Order**: The sequence in which events are presented in the narrative, which may differ from their chronological order (e.g., flashbacks or prolepsis). - **Duration**: The relationship between the time in the story and the time taken to tell it. This includes ellipses (skipping over time), summarizing, or expanding time. - **Frequency**: Refers to how often events are repeated in the narrative (e.g., a single event may be narrated multiple times, or one event may be summarized in a single line). 2. **Narrative Voice**: - **Who tells the story?** Genette identifies different types of narrators: - **Internal narrator**: A character within the story (first-person narrative). - **External narrator**: An observer who is not part of the story (third-person narrative). - **Omniscient narrator**: A narrator with knowledge of all aspects of the story, including characters’ thoughts and feelings. 3. **Focalization**: - **Definition**: Focalization refers to the point of view from which the narrative events are presented. It is about *who sees* or *who perceives* the events, not necessarily who tells the story. - **Types**: - **Zero focalization** (omniscient narrator): The narrator knows more than the characters. - **Internal focalization**: The narrator’s knowledge is limited to one character’s perspective. - **External focalization**: The narrator knows no more than the characters and describes only what is observable from an external point of view. 4. **Voice and Modality**: - Modality involves the way in which the events are presented as being factual, probable, or possible. This can influence the reader’s perception of the reliability of the narrative. - **Importance**: Genette’s narrative grammar provides tools for analyzing how stories are told, not just what stories are told. By dissecting the time structure, voice, and point of view, it enables a deeper understanding of narrative technique and its effect on the reader. - **Example**: In a work like *The Sound and the Fury* by William Faulkner, Genette’s ideas can help analyze the complex narrative structure, where different characters narrate different sections of the story, using various times and focalizations that contribute to the thematic depth of the novel. --- ### 3. **The Ideas of Close Reading** - **Definition**: Close reading is an intensive analysis of a text that focuses on the details of language, structure, and form to uncover deeper meanings. It is an approach rooted in formalist criticism that prioritizes the text itself, avoiding reliance on external factors like authorial intent or historical context. - **Key Characteristics**: - **Focus on Language**: Close reading involves a detailed examination of the language of the text—its diction, syntax, tone, and style. Every word choice is considered for its impact on meaning. - **Structural Elements**: It also looks at how the form and structure of the text—whether narrative organization, rhyme scheme, or rhythm—affect the interpretation of the text. - **Textual Details**: Close reading involves paying attention to smaller details such as imagery, symbols, metaphors, and motifs, and analyzing how they contribute to the broader themes of the work. - **Importance**: Close reading allows the reader to engage deeply with the text and uncover nuances that might be overlooked in a more surface-level reading. It is central to formalist criticism and New Criticism. - **Example**: An example of close reading would be the analysis of the use of light and dark imagery in Shakespeare’s *Macbeth* to explore the themes of guilt and ambition. --- ### 4. **Organic Unity** - **Definition**: Organic unity is a concept in literary criticism that suggests that a literary work functions as a unified whole, where all parts contribute to the development of its central themes, ideas, or aesthetic. The idea is that a work is like a living organism, where each element (characters, plot, symbols, structure) serves a particular function and contributes to the overall harmony. - **Key Aspects**: - **Integration of Parts**: In a work with organic unity, each component is interrelated. The plot, character development, themes, and imagery all support and reinforce each other. - **Emphasis on Cohesion**: A work is considered unified when all its elements contribute toward the larger thematic or emotional goals of the piece. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. - **Connection with Close Reading**: The idea of organic unity is often used in conjunction with close reading, as it requires a deep analysis of how the various parts of a text come together to form a unified whole. - **Criticism**: Some critics argue that the concept of organic unity can be too limiting, especially for works that embrace fragmentation or disorder (e.g., modernist texts), where the focus is not on a seamless unity but on the tension between parts. - **Example**: In **Mary Shelley’s *Frankenstein***, the themes of ambition, knowledge, and responsibility are woven throughout the plot, character interactions, and the symbolism of the monster, creating a cohesive, unified message about the dangers of unchecked scientific exploration. --- ### Conclusion In literary analysis, Jakobson’s **poetic function** highlights the importance of form and language in creating meaning, while **Genette’s narrative grammar** provides a framework for analyzing how stories are structured through narrative time, voice, and focalization. **Close reading** focuses on a detailed examination of the text itself to uncover deeper meanings, and the concept of **organic unity** stresses the interdependence of a work’s elements in creating a cohesive whole. These approaches enable scholars to engage with literature at a deeper, more analytical level, considering both the form and content of texts in their entirety.