〈Novel Structure, Narration, Rhetoric, and Psychological Analysis〉–– Introduction to International Novel Works and Theoretical Analysis (Volume I) 2


Part I – Introduction to Novel Creation Methodology    

Chapter 1: Novel Structure

I. Definition

Novel structure studies the organization of elements such as plot, characters, and setting, as well as the intrinsic relationships between them. It focuses on how the story is arranged to achieve artistic effects, including narrative sequence, paragraph structure, and scene transitions. The aim is to explore the logic and aesthetic value of the overall layout of a novel.

II. Key Points in Textual Structure Analysis

This field examines the various structural elements within a novel and how they are organized. It seeks to analyze how a novel uses structural arrangements to convey themes, develop characters, and drive plot progression. Scholars typically focus on the following aspects when analyzing a novel’s structure:

1. Plot Structure Analysis

Analyze the beginning, development, climax, and resolution of a story, and how the arrangement of events affects readers’ understanding and emotional response.

Applications:

1. Analyzing plot stages: Divide the story into beginning, development, climax, and ending.
2. • Example: In Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the plot revolves tightly around the old man going fishing, with clearly defined development, climax, and resolution.
3. Analyzing plot tension: Study how conflicts drive the story at different stages.
4. • Example: Shakespeare’s Hamlet uses contrasting plotlines (murder vs. revenge) to reveal internal and external conflicts.
5. Non-linear narration: Includes flashbacks, interpolations, and parallel narratives.
6. • Example: Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale uses interpolations to depict the protagonist’s memories, deepening narrative depth.

2. Temporal Structure Analysis

Study the chronological order of events—such as linear, non-linear, and interpolated timelines—and how they influence narrative pace and reader perception.

Applications:

1. Adjusting narrative order: Linear (e.g., Austen’s Pride and Prejudice), flashback (e.g., Joyce’s Ulysses), interpolated sequences (e.g., Baoyu’s dreams in Dream of the Red Chamber).
2. Time compression and expansion: Elaborate or condense event durations.
3. • Example: Tolstoy compresses battle scenes in War and Peace but expands detailed inner reflections of key characters.
4. Temporal leaps and cycles: Depict recurring patterns across generations.
5. • Example: One Hundred Years of Solitude illustrates the cyclical fate of the Buendía family, symbolizing the inevitability of destiny.

3. Spatial Structure Analysis

Examine story locations and environments, and how spatial elements interact with plot and characters to reinforce theme and atmosphere.

Applications:

1. Symbolic spaces: Spaces carry symbolic meaning.
2. • Example: Kafka’s The Castle—the castle symbolizes an unattainable power center.
3. Multiple interwoven spaces: Real and psychological spaces coexist.
4. • Example: Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera—physical travels mirror inner exploration.
5. Contrast and density: Closed spaces convey oppression (The Plague), open spaces highlight freedom (Journey to the West).

4. Character Structure Analysis

Analyze the network of relationships among characters and how major and minor roles drive the plot and deepen themes.

Applications:

1. Interactions between protagonist and supporting characters:
2. • Example: In The Count of Monte Cristo, the protagonist’s revenge orchestrates the entire network of characters.
3. Alternating internal and external character traits:
4. • Example: In The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s external transformation reflects internal suffering.
5. Ensemble cast depiction:
6. • Example: Tolstoy’s War and Peace portrays multiple characters simultaneously to reflect grand themes.

5. Narrative Perspective Analysis

Explore how the narrator’s viewpoint (omniscient, limited, first-person) affects story presentation and reader perception.

Applications:

1. Omniscient perspective: Third-person narrator reveals all characters’ inner thoughts.
2. • Example: George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
3. Limited perspective: Presented from a specific character’s viewpoint, restricting information.
4. • Example: Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, observed through Nick.
5. First-person perspective: The narrator’s viewpoint directly shapes readers’ interpretation.
6. • Example: Holden’s perspective in The Catcher in the Rye.

6. Thematic Structure Analysis

Study how themes are presented and developed, and how structural elements work together to reinforce thematic expression.

Applications:

1. Plot reflecting themes: Kafka’s The Metamorphosis uses absurd events to express existentialist themes.
2. Layered structure deepening themes: Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury employs multiple narrative perspectives to convey family tragedy.
3. Symbolism and metaphor: Recurring symbols reinforce themes.
4. • Example: Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, where the land symbolizes vitality of rural China.

Analyzing these aspects helps readers appreciate how authors use structure to convey emotion and thought, revealing the internal mechanisms of a novel and how structural design achieves artistic effect and emotional resonance.

III. Common Types of Novel Structures and Their Characteristics

1. Linear Structure

Definition: Story unfolds chronologically; plot develops steadily from beginning to end.
Features: Clear temporal progression, strong narrative logic, easy for readers to follow.
Suitable for: Coming-of-age, adventure, or causally-driven stories.
Examples:

• Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë): Follows Jane’s childhood to adulthood and her reunion with Rochester chronologically.
• The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway): Sequentially depicts Santiago’s fishing expedition, emphasizing human resilience and struggle with nature.

2. Non-Linear Structure

Definition: Story disrupts chronological order using flashbacks, interpolations, or multiple plotlines.
Features: Adds richness and layers; creates suspense; challenges readers’ sense of time.
Examples:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude (Marquez): Multi-generational narrative with flashbacks, enhancing magical realism.
• In Search of Lost Time (Proust): Memory-driven narrative intertwines past details, exploring time and recollection.

3. Circular Structure

Definition: Story ends by echoing the beginning, giving a sense of completeness and cyclical rhythm.
Features: Tight structure; plot returns or repeats; themes often carry philosophical or fatalistic meanings.
Examples:

• The Metamorphosis (Kafka): Gregor’s life cycle from transformation to death forms a circular structure.
• 1984 (Orwell): Winston’s rebellion and eventual submission reflect a story that comes full circle.

4. Mirror Structure

Definition: Parallel or contrasting plotlines reflect and illuminate the theme.
Features: Plotlines complement or contrast each other, revealing deeper meanings.
Examples:

• The Red and the Black (Stendhal): Rouge vs. Noir (military ambition vs. religious pursuit) mirrors the protagonist’s rise and fall.
• Les Misérables (Hugo): Contrasting plotlines of Jean Valjean and Javert highlight moral conflicts.

5. Fragmented / Mosaic Structure

Definition: Composed of independent or loosely connected episodes; may use multiple perspectives.
Features: Creates a fragmentary experience; readers assemble the story.
Examples:

• Ulysses (James Joyce): Uses multiple narrative techniques to depict a single day in Dublin.
• The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers): Interwoven episodes explore loneliness and emotional complexity.

6. Metaphorical Structure

Definition: Events or plots symbolize deeper themes; the narrative serves as a metaphor.
Features: Focus on symbolic meaning; may use repetition or symbolic elements.
Examples:

• Animal Farm (Orwell): Animals’ rule is a metaphor for real-world politics.
• Grave of the Fireflies (Nosaka): Disaster narrative symbolizes war’s destruction of families.

7. Episodic / Theatrical Structure

Definition: Composed of a series of related but independent episodes or chapters, each like a theatrical scene.
Features: Each chapter can stand alone; suitable for ensemble stories or long journeys.
Examples:

• Don Quixote (Cervantes): Series of adventures, each with relatively independent plots.
• Gulliver’s Travels (Swift): Four journeys, each self-contained yet interconnected.

Summary Table of Structure Types

Conclusion
The choice of structure depends on story theme, emotional tone, and target audience preferences. Structure itself is an essential narrative technique, and flexible use can create specific artistic effects.