| Title | 3. The Structures of Narrative Imagination |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Reading an Outline of Theodor Fontane’s Novel Die Poggenpuhls as a Test Case for Genetic Narratology |
| Contributor | Matthias Grüne(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0426.03 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0426/chapters/10.11647/obp.0426.03 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Matthias Grüne; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2024-12-17 |
| Long abstract | The article discusses the connection between genetic and narratological research using the example of a plot outline from Theodor Fontane's novel ‘Die Poggenpuhls’. It is demonstrated that the application of narratological categories can help to understand the structural conditions that determine the imagination of the narrated world. The outline already exhibits specific characteristics of realistic narration. It becomes clear, for example, that Fontane is guided by the principle of the scene in structuring his plot. Furthermore, immersion in such passages, which are already relatively precisely delimited in terms of space and time, can be seen as an essential driving force in the creative process. The same applies to the significance of supposedly functionless details that appear at an early stage of production and can thus be interpreted as a source of inspiration for the imagination. Finally, the plot sketch also shows a convergence and perspective blending of character and narrator speech, which is characteristic of realistic storytelling. |
| Page range | pp. 35–54 |
| Print length | 20 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
Matthias Grüne is an assistant professor at the University of Wuppertal, where he teaches Modern German Literature. After completing his doctoral project on Otto Ludwig’s Romanstudien at the University of Leipzig, he worked in Leipzig as a research assistant on the DFG project ‘Historisch-kritische Edition von Otto Ludwigs Romanstudien’ before moving to the University of Wuppertal in 2018. His habilitation project focuses on literary representations of lived experience in German literature since the 18th century. His most recent book publications include the historical-critical edition of Ludwig’s Romanstudien (2021), the anthology Theodor Fontane und das Erbe der Aufklärung (together with Jana Kittelmann; 2021) and the monograph Realistische Narratologie. Otto Ludwigs Romanstudien im Kontext einer Geschichte der Erzähltheorie (2018). Matthias Grüne is a board member of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Narrative Research (CNR) in Wuppertal and a member of the editorial board of DIEGESIS, the Interdisciplinary E-Journal for Narrative Research.