An Interpretation Of Narrative Time In J.B. Priestley’s Three Plays

John Boynton Priestley(1894-1984),one of the best known and most widely read writers in 20th century Britain,was not only prolific but also versatile.Among his various identities as an essayist,a novelist,a journalist,etc.,he is a recognized dramatist.Taking Gerard Genette’s narrative time as its theoretical basis,this thesis provides an interpretation of Priestley’s three key plays,Dangerous Corner(1932),Time and the Conways(1937)and An Inspector Calls(1945).The thesis aims to disclose the relationship of narrative time and the themes,and how Priestley manipulates time to reveal themes and his thoughts in the three plays.This thesis is divided into five chapters.Chapter One presents an introduction to J.B.Priestley’s life and his works,followed by an overview of Priestley studies and Genette’s theory of narrative time.Chapter Two,Three and Four constitute the main body of the thesis,analyzing through close reading the narrative time and their respective theme embodied in Priestley’s three key plays.Chapter Two investigates the time order in the play of Dangerous Corner,focusing on how Priestley uses analepsis and prolepsis to reveal the theme of deception,through which he airs his critique on the hypocrisy and the degenerated morality of the capitalist society.Chapter Three analyses the time duration in Time and the Conways,including ellipsis,pause and summary and discloses the theme of memory embodied in his play through the different rhythms of narration.Chapter Four presents the theme of confession by dissecting time frequency,namely singulative and repetitive in An Inspector Calls,which shows Priestley’s denouncement of the selfishness,cruelty and the class system of the bourgeoisie as well as his call for a society running as an equal community.The conclusion part points out that Priestley has found an effective way to express his thoughts and themes via the manipulation of narrative time in his plays.