| Chapter 2: | Narrative and Its Structures |
|
|
Motifemic Cluster and Final Motifemic Cluster, respectively. His operational procedure explained how each cluster consists of elements such as Lack, Task, Interdiction, Violation, Deceit, and Consequence. Narrative structures identified in his study are proposed to operate in the following patterns:
- 1. Task + Task Accomplished
- 2. Interdiction + Violation + Consequence + Attempted Escape
- 3. Interdiction + Violation + Consequence
- 4. Lack + Deceit + Deception + Consequence
- 5. Deceit + Deception + Consequence (Georges, 1970, p.10)
Georges’ (1970) study put forth the implication that the basic narrative structure is generated before the content is ordered. It can be criticised as a transformational grammar, which has been pressed into service by the folklorist on material that is quite resistant to it. However, Georges’ (1970) study should be acknowledged for its attempt to explain not only the basic patterns, which can exist as independent tales, but also the complexity in the narrative structure of folk tales. The complexity is the result of either the concatenation (i.e., chaining together) of these sequences or through a process of embedding (i.e., inserting one sequential pattern between narrative elements of another). It also laid the foundation, in spite of its flaws, for a consideration of the process involved in folk-tale creation and re-creation.
2.4. Different Approaches to an Analysis of Narrative Structures
Sceptics on structuralism commented that the structural analysis of narrative is suitable only for the simplest form of narrative,