On The Absurd Narrative

This thesis focusing on absurd narration in narrative texts, from the aspect of narratology, takes absurdity into the category of aesthetics, and makes an exploration of absurd narration. It is composed of five parts.Introduction:This part introduces briefly the research actualities and difficulties in the research. The research of absurd drama is of great interests to the academic circle in 20^th century. However, there is little work concerning absurd narration. Started from the angel of narratology, absurd narration is concerned mainly with the interior research of literature, and at the same time, gives attention to historical, ethic cultural and psychological factors from which absurdity derives. It further points out the importance of the research of absurd narration to the maturity of narratology.The text consists of three chapters:Chapter one: Absurdity. It investigates the definitions of absurdity in etymology and points out that the "absurdity" in absurd narration is different from the definitions in dictionary or the meaning in common sense. It refers to the abnormal and unreasonable state of objects or forms. It deviates from natural likelihood while corresponds to the interior probability. The main concerns here are: (1) the source of absurdity; (2) the definition of absurdity (its relationship with mystery, ugliness and funniness); (3) the status of absurdity-it is an aesthetic concept which should be a category within aesthetics as wellas elegancy, grandness, farce and tragedy.Chapter two: absurd narration. It analyses absurd narration on the level of text, plot, and discourse, and then summarizes the features of absurd narration. Absurd narration refers to the narration in which the absurd contents and images are created in form of abnormality or by means of surrealism. It deviates from natural likelihood while corresponds to the interior probability. It is this interior probability that creates the glamour of absurd narration.Chapter three: the aesthetic meaning of absurd narration. It explores the aesthetic meaning from four aspects: the unacquainted aesthetic approach, the multi-level aesthetic significance, and the abnormal aesthetic spirit. The tragedy-comedy mixed aesthetic bourn.Conclusions:The limitations of absurd narration: There exists in absurd narration something similar to what Sartre Jean-Paul said "vain enthusiasm". The dogmatism of such enthusiasm, opens literature imagination, however, at the same time, it closes the possibility of various narrative modality. Nevertheless, absurd narration would not disappear with the coming of the flourishing scientific age. Therefore, the research of absurd narration must have deep-leveled academic values.