The Transmedial Narrative Theory Of Marie-Lauren Ryan

The trans-media narratology, as a branch of post-classical narratology, has been gained great attention of academe in the 20th century. But the theory of the American scholar, Marie-Laure Ryan, who is the representative scholar of post-classical narratology, has been neglected seriously. This article is the analysis and critical study of her trans-media narrative theory on the basis of her most influential work, Avatars of Story, and has a comparison of Yiheng Zhao’s general narratology.Chapter one is the definition of narrativity and possible world theory, and highlights the dim set in her theory, through the comparison of Yiheng Zhao’s definition of narration. Chapter two is the focus of narration and media, Marie-Laure Ryan proposes the conceptions of intermedium and intermediary ecology, and has a close study of digital media from the aspect of semiotics, technology and culture. This chapter is the summarization of her viewpoints and poses the question of the relationship between narrative world and real world. Chapter three is the analysis of narrativity and interactivity. The text structure and the interactive mode have significant features in the scope of trans-media society, and Marie-Laure Ryan has realized this in the intertextual reading of traditional narratology and Espen J. Aarseth’s interaction theory. Chapter four proposes the patterns of trans-boundary in the narratology, like the attempts in the code poetry and digital games. This article doesn’t stint to give a high rating of her contribution to the trans-media narratology, meanwhile, proposes more attentions to the trans-boundary study in the reference of Yiheng Zhao’s general narratology.In the end, this article has a summary of Marie- Laure Ryan’s theory and its enlightenment to Chinese post-classical narratology.