Narrative Structure of Bengali Science Fiction/ বাংলা কল্পবিজ্ঞানের আখ্যানকৌশল

Abstract

Narrative structure is the most interesting aspect of a narrative. Science fiction is a specific kind of prose narrative. In this essay, our endeavor is to make out the narrative particularity or specialty of Bengali Science Fiction in respect to narratology. The context of the narrative situation unites the reader with the narrative. The basic structure of all narrative forms defines itself in two terms: first, histoire/ fabula/ story, and second, discourse/ sjuzhet. The ‘fabula’ or ‘story’ refers to the actual chronology of events in a narrative and ‘discourse’ refers to the manipulation of that story in presenting the narrative. The famous linguist and narratologist M. Toolan described six components of ‘articulation’ i.e. discourse in his book 'Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction' (1995), namely: Time, Setting, Characterization, Narration, Focalization, and Free Indirect Discourse (FID). Here, we are attempting to analyze the narrative structure of science fiction with respect to these components.

           Time is one of the most important parameters of Science Fiction. Many science fiction stories set in a futuristic time frame and there are often time-travel stories. These unique uses of time place science fiction in contrast to historical stories. Many stories of science fiction take the reader to extraterrestrial lives, space exploration, underwater civilizations, apocalyptic worlds etc. These circumstances are quite unknown and unexperienced in human civilization. It has been observed that science fiction generally lacks multidimensional characters. The main reason behind this could be that the writers focus more on ideas rather than people. The main protagonists recurrently become typical characters. One thing is to note that female protagonists, as well as female characters in Bengali Science fiction, are rare specimens. In conclusion, the setting plays a pivotal role in science fiction followed by time. Characterization also plays a significant role, but Narration, Focalization, and Free Indirect Discourse (FID) are not as significant in science fiction as in other types of prose narratives.