An Analysis Of The Narrative Perspectives In Ernest Hemingway's Fiction

A good many reviews and studies had been made from multiple perspectives since Hemingway's fiction came out one after another. However, a narrotological approach—readings aided by the insights from the narrative perspectives that might prove more fruitful in explicating the narrative techniques in Hemingway's fiction—remains a field that demands further attention. The dissertation adopts a study method from classical narratology, especially the insights from Narrative Discourse written by the French narratologist Gérard Genette. Using for reference the expounding techniques from scholars of narratology at home and abroad, and fusing textual analysis with theoretical explorations, this dissertation focuses on the characteristics and the aesthetic functions of narrative perspectives in Hemingway's fiction. There is an obvious probe of narrative perspectives in his fiction. Most of his works are written from third person objective perspective, which is the main element of his "Iceberg Principle". The employment of first person limited perspective brings much aesthetic appreciation due to the restriction of information. Shifting narrative perspectives and multiple perspectives are also obvious features in Hemingway's fiction. Each perspective seems subjective. However, when put together, they turn out to be generally objective. This can be deemed as another evidence of his "Iceberg Principle". What demands attention is the use of children's perspectives, which are contrastive to the adults' and produce much artistic tension in Hemingway's fiction.