The Teller and the Observer: Narration and Focalization in Narrative Texts

The narratologocial theories as put forward by Gérard Genette and Mieke Bai form a radically new approach to those issues that come under what is traditionally termed "point of view." Bal and Genette distinguish between narration, or telling of a story as such, and the various points of view in narration, or focalization. Bal also postulates a three-partitioning of the narrative text, namely in text, words spoken by the narrator; narrative, the content of these words presented by the focalizer; and story, actions performed by the characters. This paper presents a critical analysis of BaFs and Genette's theoretical frameworks together with some additions and modifications where this seemed necessary. Special attention is paid to the concept of hierarchy which is more prominent in BaFs than in Genette's system. Hierarchy implies, among other things, that a text may contain subordinated narrative levels and a narrative subordinated focalization levels. Although Bal and Genette do not work this out, analysis of the narrative discourse may reveal particular cues indicating that a shift in narrative or focalization level has taken place. The subjects and objects of the various narratological activities as seen by Bal and Genette differ considerably from traditional notions such as narrator and abstract author. Although the activities of narrator, focalizor and character constitute communicative acts in the vision of Mieke Bal, she only pays serious attention to the addressers of the message, whereas the addressees are barely touched upon. As a result no mention is made of shins in addressees that are brought about by shins in narrative and focalization level. We may conclude that the use of discourse analysis for the analysis of the narratological levels has not been realized either by Genette nor by Bal. Moreover, Bal's theory may be preferred to Genette's because of its higher degree of systematism and its greater range of applicability.