Nach einer Definition der 'short story' und der Einführung der "literary terms" (Quelle: Klarer 2004) erfolgt die Analyse von "Time and Pace" in den beiden oben genannten Titeln. Kurz und knapp gehalten als Überblick.
Table of Contents
1. A definition of the term ‘short story’
2. Short Summaries of “The Masque of the Red Death” and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
2.1 “The Masque of the Red Death” by E. A. Poe
2.2 “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by A. Bierce
3. ‘Time and pace’: Terminology
4. Aspects of time and pace in the selected stories
4.1 Time and pace in “The Masque of the Red Death”
4.2 Time and pace in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
5. Literature Consulted
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to examine how the literary techniques of "time" and "pace" are utilized within two seminal short stories to shape the reader's experience and perception of narrative progression. By analyzing the relationship between discourse time and story time, the study explores how authors manipulate temporal structures to heighten dramatic effect or create psychological illusions.
- Definition and structural characteristics of the short story genre.
- Analysis of narrative discourse time versus fictional story time.
- Techniques of narrative pacing, including summary, ellipsis, and time stretch.
- Comparative examination of temporal manipulation in works by E.A. Poe and A. Bierce.
- The role of the protagonist's perspective in establishing narrative pace.
Excerpt from the Book
3. ‘Time and pace’: Terminology
In order to analyse stories in the face of time and pace, it is essential to clarify the used terms.
When talking about time in literary texts, it is important to consider the proportion of discourse time (also: narrative time, reading time) and story time (also: narrated time, acting time). In German, the terminology is clearer: Erzählzeit in the first case, Erzählte Zeit in the latter. ‘Discourse time’ means the time span in reality which is needed in order to read or tell the story whereas ‘story time’ means the ‘fictional time’, i.e. the time which passes within the story.
The proportion of discourse time and story time leads to the techniques of pace. When pace is accelerated, i.e. the discourse time is shorter than the story time, the events are told briefly, e.g. “She grew up in Germany, studied in England, married a soldier and now, she lives in Alabama with her granddaughter”. This technique is called summary. The opposite is the time stretch. Pace is decelerated by narrating details. In this case, discourse time is longer than story time, e.g. if the reader is told in detail about the landscape. In reality, one would see all that with one single look. There is also the case that discourse time and story time seem to be equally long, e.g. in dialogues or when the reader immediately reads about the thoughts of a person in the story. This technique is named scene. Another method of accelerating pace is the ellipsis: A period of time is left out, e.g. “Three years later, the problem was still unsolved.” Additionally, there are two techniques which relate the events in the story to the past or the future: Flashback in the former case and flash forwards in the latter. In short stories, flashbacks are important to ensure readers’ understanding (cf. 1.).
Summary of Chapters
1. A definition of the term ‘short story’: Provides an overview of the short story as a distinct literary sub-category of the epic, highlighting features like limited volume and a focus on a single transformative event.
2. Short Summaries of “The Masque of the Red Death” and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”: Offers concise plot synopses of the two selected works to establish the context for the subsequent analytical sections.
3. ‘Time and pace’: Terminology: Establishes the theoretical framework by defining key terms such as discourse time, story time, summary, scene, and time stretch.
4. Aspects of time and pace in the selected stories: Applies the previously defined theoretical concepts to analyze the specific temporal narrative structures in the works of Poe and Bierce.
5. Literature Consulted: Lists the academic sources and primary texts utilized to support the research presented in the paper.
Keywords
Short story, Time, Pace, Discourse time, Story time, Summary, Scene, Time stretch, Ellipsis, Flashback, Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Narrative structure, Literary analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper examines the temporal structures and narrative pacing techniques employed in short fiction, specifically using two classic stories as case studies.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The central themes involve the manipulation of narrative time, the relationship between reading time and fictional time, and how these elements influence the reader's perception.
What is the primary goal or research question?
The goal is to determine how authors manipulate "time" and "pace" to achieve specific effects, such as the illusion of prolonged experience or the rapid escalation of narrative tension.
Which scientific or analytical method is utilized?
The paper utilizes literary analysis, specifically focusing on narratological terminology and the comparative study of discourse time versus story time.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the formal definition of the short story, theoretical terminology regarding time and pace, and detailed applications of these concepts to the works of Poe and Bierce.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include short story, discourse time, story time, narrative pacing, summary, scene, time stretch, and literary analysis.
How does "The Masque of the Red Death" use time to create tension?
Poe uses ellipsis to speed up the narrative to the climax and specific "time stretch" techniques, such as the description of the ebony clock, to slow down the pace at critical moments.
In what way does the illusion of time function in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?
Bierce creates an illusion where the protagonist's internal fantasy—occurring in mere seconds of objective time—is stretched significantly through detailed narration, causing the reader to perceive the events as lasting much longer.
- Quote paper
- Eveline Reiß (Author), 2006, Aspects of Time and Pace in Poe's "The Mask of the Red Death" and Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/134284
