تطبیق ساختار روایی رمان «وحدها شجرة الرّمان» سنان انطون با نظریه‌ی روایت‌شناسی گریماس

Adaptation of Narrative Structure of the Novel The lone Pomegranate Tree with Greimas Narratology Theory



Introduction: A narrative consists of a sequential series of events, and a crucial condition of this sequence is the interconnectedness of these events. Narration begins with the history of humanity, and its antiquity is as old as mankind's discovery of literary innovations. The examination of narration has been a subject of interest itself since ancient times and traces back to Aristotle's studies. One of the schools that delved into narratology in contemporary times is the Structuralist School, which aims to uncover the language of narration and the structure behind it. The first person to propose a structural analysis pattern for stories was Vladimir Propp. Following him, another structuralist named Greimas delved into the study of narration. Using his theory, it's possible to comprehensively examine the structure of a narrative. This article aims to adapt a descriptive-analytical method to compare the narrative structure of the lone pomegranate tree novel with Greimas narratology theory.

Methodology: Greimas, seeks a generalizable overarching structure in all narratives, considering them all to be subject to a common structure despite their differences. In his analysis of narrative and stories, he focuses on the general narrative structure, narrative elements, propositions, and narrative chains.

Results and Discussion: According to Greimas, all narratives have one of the following two structures:

1. Contract-Violation-Punishment

2. Absence of Contract-Existence of Contract

The lone pomegranate tree novel follows the first model structure. The main character in this novel is Javad, His father owns a funeral home (where dead bodies get washed to become ready for burial), and the occupation of washing the deceased is an inherited profession in their family. The father expects Javad to continue his occupation. This familial arrangement aligns with the contract of Greimas theory. However, Javad possesses a passion for art and shows no inclination towards the funeral home business. This contravenes the established familial agreement, coinciding with a violation as outlined in Greimas theory. His father opposes his decision, resulting in a consequence that matches the concept of punishment in Greimas theory.

On the other hand, the six narrative elements that Greimas believes exist in all narratives can also be found in this novel. These six elements are as follows:

1. Character: In the discussed novel, the protagonist is Javad.

2. Goal: Javad's goal is to pursue studies in art field.

3. Receiver: The one who benefits from the actions of the story's character, in this case, is Javad himself.

4. Sender: Someone or something that propels the protagonist toward their goal, which in this novel is Javad's passion and feelings towards art.

5. Helper: Someone who assists the protagonist in achieving their goal, which in this novel includes Javad's brother Amir, his mentor Raed, and his uncle.

6. Opponent: The force that opposes the protagonist's goal, in this case, would be Javad's father and political and social conditions in Iraq.

According to Greimas theory, every narrative is composed of three propositions:

1. Descriptive Proposition: It portrays the characteristics and situations of the protagonist. In this novel, Javad is depicted as an art enthusiast who opposes his father's profession, and he suffers from nightly nightmares. All these attributes find their place in the descriptive proposition.

2. Cognitive Proposition: The desires and beliefs of the protagonist are included in this proposition. For example, Javad wishes to become a prominent artist in Iraq one day.

3. Actional Proposition: All the actions of the protagonist are encompassed within this proposition. For instance, from childhood, Javad engages in designing everything and exerts great effort to become an artist.

According to Greimas theory, the structure of a narrative consists of three narrative chains:

1. The Contractual Chain: Creating a contract and breaking it are elements of this chain. In this novel, Javad makes a personal contract with himself to pursue a career in art and find a job aligned with his field. However, due to the political and social conditions in Iraq, he is forced to break this contract.

2. The Executive Chain: This chain pertains to actions and tasks that imply execution and a mission. All of Javad's efforts to achieve his goal are encompassed within this chain.

3. The Disjunctive Chain: According to Greimas theory, all stories move from a negative situation to a positive one, or vice versa. This novel transitions from a positive situation to a negative one. At the beginning, Javad leads a peaceful life. However, throughout the story, his brother is killed, his father passes away, and despite his efforts to become an artist, he fails to achieve his goal.

Conclusion: From the analysis of the lone pomegranate tree novel the following results are obtained: The overall structure of this novel is Contract-Violation-Punishment. The six narrative elements of the novel are as follows:

1. Character: Javad.

2. Goal: Pursuing studies in the field of art.

3. Receiver: Javad himself.

4. Sender: His passion and feelings towards art.

5. Helper: Mentor Raed, Javad's brother, and his uncle.

6. Opponent: Javad's father and the political and social conditions in Iraq.

In this novel, the narrative propositions of Greimas theory (cognitive, descriptive, and actional) are identifiable. The narrative chains of Greimas theory (contractual, executive, and disjunctive) are present in this novel.

Keywords: Narratology, Narrative Structure, Greimas, Senan Antoun, The Lone Pomegranate Tree