The role of characters in plot dynamics

This article provides a summary of a book that lays the foundation for a stylistical and rhetorical approach of narratology whose aim is to describe with the greatest possible precision the mechanism of immersive and intriguing literary narratives. Noting the existence of a strong polysemy around th...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Baroni, Raphaël
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2017
Country:Brasil
Institution:Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
Repository:Letras de Hoje (Online)
Language:Portuguese
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br:article/29185
Online Access:https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/fale/article/view/29185
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Plot
Narrative tension
Character
Narratology
Rhetorics
Stylistics
Trama
Tensão narrativa
Caráter
Narratologia
Retórica
Estilística
Intrigue
Tension narrative
Personnage
Narratologie
Rhétorique
Stylistique
Description
Summary:This article provides a summary of a book that lays the foundation for a stylistical and rhetorical approach of narratology whose aim is to describe with the greatest possible precision the mechanism of immersive and intriguing literary narratives. Noting the existence of a strong polysemy around the notion of plot, I propose to start with a functionalist definition capable to emphasize the close relationship between narrative dynamics and emplotment, which builds, maintain, and resolve tension in the aesthetic experience. I also mention how the characterization of characters and the mutability of their roles can determine in an essential way the profile of narrative tension.