The Narrative Techniques In The Diaries Of Jane Somers

Doris Lessing (1919—) is one of the most excellent post-war women writers of Britain. She is good at many styles and won kinds of literary prizes including Somerset Maugham and Nobel Prize for literature, ect. Her works not only inherited the good tradition of the nineteenth century novelists but also have breakthroughs.In 1983, Lessing published her novel The Diaries of Jane Somers. Since it was recognized as Lessing's work, the novel has received broad concern both at home and abroad. But so far, the narrative techniques of it have not been mentioned by the critics.The thesis is going to explore the narrative skills with the theory of narratology and the functions in the novel through the study of the narrators, narrative perspectives, the presentation of speech and thought and the narrative pattern.Chapter One focuses on narrator and narrative perspective. The author uses homodiegetic narrator so as to increase the impressiveness of the story. Reliable narrator makes the story credible. As of the perspectives, the author partially uses zero focalization which enables the narrator to present a picture and readers have better understanding of the story. Fixed internal focalization shortens the distance between the characters and readers, thus increasing their sense of sympathy.Chapter Two is about the presentation of speech and thought. Direct speech helps display the characters'personality directly and vividly. Indirect speech makes the narrative text brief and smooth. Free direct speech has its directness and vividness in presenting characters'speech and thought. It is easily mixed up with the narrative. NRSA is highly economized means of presenting speech and thought. It also helps to cover up the unnecessary words, thus enlarging the distance between the readers and the characters. FIS makes the presentation of speech and thought vivid and smooth.Chapter Three is about the narrative pattern. As a distinctive narrative pattern, diary novel has the features of both a diary and novel. Diary novel is different from the other novels that stress plot and story. Diary novel combines novel, diary, prose and poet together. The structure is arbitrary. Besides, as a diary novel, The Diaries of Jane Somers has its advantage of mental description, which enables the readers to probe into the characters'inner world. At last, diary has actuality, since it is written mostly with first person"I"and takes the form of diary. In The Diaries of Jane Somers, the characters and events are very close to reality.The last part is the conclusion. In The Diaries of Jane Somers Lessing expresses her concern for the old through the use of narrative skills. She seeks to find a proper solution to the problems the old people are faced with. Through the passage, readers are impressed with the idea that it seems possible to build a harmonious world. This effect is reached through the narrative skills she uses in it.