ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 continues to explore the question of interpretation, arguing that narrative fragmentation increases interpreters’ dependence on existing ways of understanding. It begins with a discussion of Heidegger’s account of the relationship between understanding and interpretation as aspects of Dasein which define the range of possible interpretations and are ultimately grounded in being rather than any specific cognitive activity. To elucidate Heidegger’s ideas, and render them more readily applicable, I then turn to Gadamer’s account of ‘interpretive horizons’ to argue that the horizon is a precondition for interpretation rather than simply a limiting factor and also something which gradually shifts over time, rather than functioning as something fixed and inescapable. The final part of the chapter turns once again to narrative, examining metanarratives and masterplots as key components of the narrative horizon. They enable fragments to come into view as significant, in the context of larger narrative wholes, but in so doing also limit the range of interpretive possibilities. While important in all contexts, I propose this effect is especially important with fragmented narrative since, with small fragments, so much of interpretation is inevitably based on already accepted models.
