NARATÍVNE ŠTRUKTÚRY V PRÍBEHOCH Z DIVOKÉHO ZÁPADU. PRÍPAD PETROLEJOVÉHO PRINCA – II.

• Authors: Tomáš Horváth

Title variants

EN

Narrative structures in the Wild West stories. The Oil Prince case – II

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

The article is based on the analysis by John G. Cawelti saying that the western formula cannot be attached to a single plot pattern but rather to a symbolic chronotope and its influence on the type of a hero who operates within the chronotope. The author uses examples of some writings (M. Bird, F. Parkman, O. Wister, J. Altsheller, M. Brand, E. Haycox, Z. Grey and others) to demonstrate several narrative structures used in westerns: the schemes of chasing, revenge, an armed conflict between groups of characters (or a duel), the scheme of hunting for a treasure, the travel scheme as well as the scheme of a detective novel, which may be incorporated into the western. The author includes a detailed analysis of Karl May´s novel “The Oil Prince” (Der Ölprinz, 1893). Two types of stories can be identified within May´s text corpus: the ones having the paratactic narrative structure (inherited from the picaresque novel) and those having a central plot, which also include “The Oil Prince”. Its narrative structure is organized by the central motif of a fake oil lake trap. The narrative line of the bad guys is opposed by the narrative line of the positive characters, who want to save a banker´s life. Both narrative lines are interrelated by means of the manifold chasing/tracking narrative structure depicted by the alternate storyline composition switching between that of the good backwoodsmen and that of the bad guys. On the level of narrative point of view the alternate storyline composition is reflected in alternate focalization, which makes the model readers identify themselves alternately with either the good or the bad characters. Both of the narrative lines are – on the micro level – constructed as the solutions of the narrative problems: the positive characters deal with ad hoc tasks, problems, which they are faced with, using their common sense so as to assess and solve a particular situation, and their skills and physical condition. The author includes a detailed analysis of the trick pattern in the case of the Old Shatterhand character. On the other hand, the negative characters deal with being in danger by telling lies or killing. In conclusion he brings inter textual examples of the Mayesque fictitious world in the proses by J. F. Cooper, F. Gerstäcker, G. Ferry, T. M. Reid, Ch. Sealsfield on the level of motifs, on the level of the hero construction as well as on the level of the narrative structure.

Keywords

EN

WESTERN GENRE; WILD WEST; NARRATIVE STRUCTURE; CHASING STRUCTURE

• Publisher: Institute of Slovak Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Slovenská literatúra (Slovak Literature)
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 38 – 49

Contributors

author

Tomáš Horváth

• Ústav slovenskej literatúry SAV, Konventná 13, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic