For a long time the only accepted form of writing, working completely alone without help is not the only option for writers anymore. New forms have emerged, actively seeking the collaboration of authors in order to create texts that make use of the new possibilities collaboration grants. Though it has not yet achieved the same level of normality as single-author writing, collaborative writing nonetheless has a wide range of readers. As in all forms of writing, readers always try to find an entity that accounts for the text and guides their interpretation. A concept that tries to help in that process is the implied author. While its usefulness is debateable in one-authored writing, this concept is more interesting in collaborative written works as the number of real authors not necessarily corresponds to an equal number of implied authors. This paper is going to prove that coherence is one of the key determinants for creating the implied author. To reach that goal, two texts, both belonging to the genre of crime fiction, will be compared: first, Elementary, a short story dealing with two writers that fail to kill their agent; second, Murder at the Beau Rivage, a poststructuralist story about a serial murder who actually is a serial murderess. However, as the “implied author” and “coherence” are the basis for this analysis, it is, first of all, crucial to come up with uniform definitions and concepts behind the terms since they are not being used consistently in literary studies. Having established the terms, Murder at the Beaus Rivage will serve as an example of how incoherence can cause different implied authors for a text. Then, in order to prove that collaboratively written texts are not bound to have several implied authors, Elementary will be examined in terms of coherence. Finally, as the reader also plays a role in constructing the implied author, a short outlook will be given on the aspects that may be of interest for further research in that field.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Implied Author
3 Defining Coherence
4 Coherence and Implied Author
4.1 Murder at the Beau Rivage
4.2 Elementary
5 Outlook: Role of the Reader in constructing the Implied Author
6 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the relationship between narrative coherence and the concept of the implied author within the context of collaboratively written fiction. It investigates whether multiple authors necessarily result in multiple implied authors or if a coherent narrative structure can sustain a unified implied author identity.
- Theoretical exploration of the "implied author" concept.
- Definition and analysis of "coherence" in literary narratives.
- Case study of "Murder at the Beau Rivage" as an example of narrative incoherence.
- Case study of "Elementary" as an example of a coherent collaborative text.
- The influence of the reader's role in attributing meaning to collaborative works.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Murder at the Beau Rivage
Though in order to be coherent many elements of a text play a role (as mentioned above), some elements are more important in creating (or undermining) coherence than others. Out of these elements, characterisation is maybe the most essential aspect when it comes to judge whether a text is coherent or not (Toolan50).Since, especially in character-driven narrative, much of the “action” in a narration revolves around the character(s) and the plot is often heavily influenced by what the character is and does, the coherence of a narration often stands or falls with characterisation. When the description of characters is not coherent, that is, the characters’ actions, motivations, thoughts and so on are not explained consistently to the reader or even contradict each other, it makes the characters unbelievable and, thus, disturbs the feeling of the whole narrative being coherent.
With these facts in mind, it is easier to find a starting point from where coherence can be examined in Murder at the Beau Rivage.The first half of the narrationroughly conforms to the standards of crime fiction. Murders happen in the title-giving apartment complex“The Beau Rivage”, suggesting a serial killer. The main character, G. Smith, more or less stumbles in his role of being the detective of the narration by finding some hints suggesting who the murder could be. He is joined by his neighbour, Barry Loomis, and both collaborate on finding the murder, all clues pointing to a woman with short, black hair. Shortly before Barry comes into play, the narration begins to show meta-fictional elements. G. Smith begins to detect some “inconsistencies” in the story itself, and, after some more consideration, finds out that he “was a character in a crime story” (Murder 228). Though one could argue that here already a different implied author is being introduced (for reasons that will be explained shortly) due to incoherence of the narration, a passage follows that makes the change from one implied author to another clear.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the shift toward collaborative writing and introduces the central thesis regarding the link between coherence and the implied author.
2 The Implied Author: Discusses the theoretical framework of the implied author, differentiating it from both the narrator and the real author as a construct for narrative interpretation.
3 Defining Coherence: Explores the challenges of defining coherence, emphasizing that it is a dynamic concept dependent on how narrative elements interact and align.
4 Coherence and Implied Author: Analyzes two specific crime fiction stories to demonstrate how narrative consistency—or the lack thereof—affects the construction of the implied author.
5 Outlook: Role of the Reader in constructing the Implied Author: Reflects on how the reader's awareness of collaborative authorship influences their critical perception and interpretation of a text.
6 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, reaffirming that coherence is a vital tool for identifying shifts in the implied author within collaborative literary works.
Keywords
Collaborative fiction, Implied author, Narrative coherence, Wayne Booth, Characterisation, Meta-fiction, Literary theory, Murder at the Beau Rivage, Elementary, Reader response, Narrative discourse, Postmodernism, Crime fiction, Textual analysis, Authorial intention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the relationship between narrative coherence and the concept of the implied author, specifically analyzing how these elements function in collaboratively written fiction.
Which specific literary concept is at the center of the analysis?
The core concept is the "implied author," a term popularized by Wayne Booth to describe the intelligence or sensibility that accounts for the narrative's construction and guides the reader's interpretation.
What is the research goal of this work?
The author aims to prove that coherence serves as a key determinant for the creation of an implied author, particularly in texts where multiple authors are involved.
What methodology is employed to support the thesis?
The paper uses a comparative textual analysis of two crime fiction stories—"Murder at the Beau Rivage" and "Elementary"—to observe how different collaborative methods affect narrative coherence.
What does the main body of the paper discuss?
The main body defines the theoretical concepts, analyzes "Murder at the Beau Rivage" as an example of incoherence leading to multiple implied authors, and contrasts this with "Elementary" to show how collaboration can maintain a unified narrative voice.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The research is characterized by terms such as collaborative fiction, implied author, narrative coherence, meta-fiction, and textual analysis.
How does the author define coherence in this paper?
Coherence is defined as the arrangement of narrative elements (plot, genre, etc.) in a way that allows the reader to perceive that "everything fits" within the specific context of the story.
Why is "Murder at the Beau Rivage" considered to have multiple implied authors?
The author argues that the text contains significant logical gaps and shifting postmodern elements that break the reader's immersion, creating a divide between the conventional crime story and the meta-fictional elements.
Does collaborative writing always lead to a fragmented implied author?
No, the paper concludes that collaboration does not necessarily cause incoherence; if the authors work together to establish consistent narrative elements from the beginning, a unified implied author can be maintained, as seen in "Elementary."
What role does the reader play according to the author?
The author suggests that while the text provides the basis for interpretation, the implied author is ultimately constructed by the reader, whose perception is often influenced by their knowledge of whether a text was written collaboratively.
- Quote paper
- Gregor Schönfelder (Author), 2010, The Relation between Narrative Coherence and the Implied Author, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/203782
