ABSTRACT
Where do I stand in relation to these narratives? The present chapter is an attempt to reconsider narratology, its presuppositions,
definitions, the inclusions and exclusions these entailed, the various transformations they have undergone, and some of the new developments that have emerged from re-thinking the discipline. A reconsideration of narratology has become a genre of its own (Martin 1986, Cohan and Shires 1988, O’Neill 1994, Herman 1999, Nünning 1999), but-at the cost of limiting the scope somewhat-I wish to focus mine on assumptions most relevant to Narrative Fiction. To the extent that this book integrates various theories, the present rethinking applies to narratology at large. However, to the extent that the book conveys-by its selections, exclusions and even explicit commentary-a personal position on the issues discussed, the present focus adds a personal dimension to the general exploration. Incidentally, ‘a personal dimension’ is also one of the signs of the times, one of the changes that occurred between the discourse used in this book and a great deal of latter-day theorizing. In this sense, I undertake a role somewhat similar to that of a retrospective firstperson narrator: a fairly complex role, often entailing double focalization, never free of the danger of unreliability. I have decided to risk these dangers rather than give up the wonderful opportunity (and challenge) presented by the 25th anniversary of New Accents: the opportunity of putting together reflections, doubts, readings, and teaching experiences that have shaped my attitude to narratology since the publication of this book. It is perhaps best to say from the start that I have been forced to question quite a few of my assumptions. I have changed many of my views, and my work has taken various new directions. Nevertheless, I still find narratology a valuable, even indispensable enterprise. I prefer to focus this re-exploration on basic assumptions rather than on specific concepts (e.g. time, author, unreliability, homo/hetero-diegetic narration), because at this late stage in the game it seems to me more interesting and more radical.
