A Study of Some Narrative Devices in the Masnavi's Fables

The narratology, with a relatively vast domain, is the center of attention for many circles of literary criticism. Besides, the relation between narrative elements with other fictional elements has introduced various new perspectives in the field of literary criticism. The aim of this article is to explain and analyze several narrative techniques, and also to show some instances of these techniques in the Masnavi’s tales. The focus of this paper will be on four major concepts, namely narrative past, Material and mental process verbs, narrative proceeding and intercalated narration. In the part devoted to narrative past, the different functions of the tense of the verb in fictional and factual texts is explicated. In the next part, it is discussed that the reporting of the persons’ external verbs like eating wearing running and the like can occur in nonfictional texts; yet, explanation of the internal verbs like thinking, hoping, and etc., is possible only in fictional texts. In the third section of the paper, the linear narrative and interruption of linear narrative will be dealt with. Finally, in the last part of this paper, the concept of intercalated narration is explored. It should be noted that the intercalated narration involves tales in which the narrative framework proceeds alternately between fictional acts and characters’ dialogues.