The narrated time is a concept from the narrative theory. The period of time, which includes an epic work, is referred to as the narrated time. It is, therefore, the fictitious period or duration of the narrative story narrated. Opposite is the narrative period. The narrative time is the time a reader needs to actually read a work.
If we assume that the narrative time means the time the narrator needs to represent the history or a reader needs to consume it, we can see that the narrative time is, in principle, a relationship between discours as is narrated) and histoire (history). This relationship ultimately forms the narrative of a story (narrative speed).
If the narrated time in the work is longer than the time required to read the story, we speak of a time-lapse, both of which are about the same length, we have to do with timely narration. If the narrative extends over numerous pages and describes only a brief moment, the narrative can be described as a time-stretching.
Narrative with narrative time and narrated time
The scheme shows the relationship between narrated time and narrative time, and how they affect the rhythm and speed of the narrative. Most works gather many events and summarize them. Time-telling narrative is the typical form of the dialogue or monologue, whereby a temporal strain is realized by (digressions) of the authorial narrator or detailed narrative.
Note: The concepts go back to the literary historian Günther Mueller, who presents them in his work The Meaning of the Time in the History of the Story (1947). Thomas Mann, however, had already noticed these abnormalities in his novel Der Zauberberg (1924). The corresponding excerpt and an ongoing consideration can be found in the contribution to the narrative period.
Example: narrative time and narrated time
In order to illustrate the whole thing by means of an example, we can remain with Thomas Mann. Buddenbrook’s social romance: the decay of a family (1901) is the earliest of his great works. It is also large in terms of scope and time.
On the one hand, it portrays the fate of the Buddenbrook family over several generations and on the other hand it has a circumference of several hundred pages. The narrated time stretches over several decades, although the narrative period, although the novel is comprehensive, probably lasts only a few days.
Note: Since readers read differently fast and the Lesedauer is thus not a reliable criterion, it is usually sensible to specify the narrative time in lines or even pages.
What is the effect of narrated time and narrative time?
Up to now, the focus was on the types of narrative and the extent to which the interplay of the two times allows timely, timely and time-stretching narrative. The interaction of both elements also has an influence on the rhythm of the work.
It is often the case that narrations on the first pages summarize the past events for a reader. Let us imagine, the protagonist of the story is in the twenties. Before the novel leads us through the life of the hero, perhaps only a single month is illuminated, the figure gives a little insight into their lives. Thus, the figure is shaped and more tangible.
If this is the case, this initial time-lapse can be quite rapid, while the following representations are rather slow. The fact that a work can play with the fast and slow narrative is thus decisively influenced by the rhythm of the work, which can be examined thoroughly within a story, but also in comparison with others.
Note: According to this, the relationship between narrated time and narrative time determines the rhythm of a work, whereby, of course, it is the change of the ratio that makes up the rhythm.
Short overview: The most important thing about the time being told
In a work, there are two ways of measuring time. On the one hand there is the narrative period and, on the other hand, the narrated time. The narrative time is the length of time a reader needs to read and is usually specified using the amount of text. The narrated time is the time actually told in the work.
From the relation of these two planes, the speed of a narrative arises: the narrative. It can be either time-consuming, timely or time-stretching.
Through the narrative, sections of a work or even different works can be compared. The narrative drama determines the rhythm of a story. This rhythm can be quite changeable within a work.