From the study of the Taketori pretexts, it was noted that when a narrating perspective failed to situate self-consciously itself, it ended up being separated from the story is narrated. In a text, not all that happens is told. However, a narration may clearly show that an important event was omitted in the text. Deriving meaning from a text, one is required to assess and address the text from all perspectives. A text narrates just a portion of the occurrences in the events described. However, it is expected that the text should cover all the notable events. The major events are simply those that have significance to the plot or are responsible for triggering a series of events described in the narration. As mentioned in the texts, the narrations continuously presented the narrator without involving reflexive statements. Reflexive statements are important in a text as they introduce a unique perspective of reasoning from the one that comes from the narration of real events as they occurred. When the narrator introduces reflexive statements, he or she makes the reader understand some of the events narrated. Reflexive statements are also important as they make the reader develop a critical analysis of the narrative.
The entire text is considerably influenced by the beginning of a narrative. At the beginning of the narrative, the author may choose to use direct narration or involve the character’s direct speech. As noted in the text, the earlier was used in most of the earlier narratives. However, in Taketori’s narrative, the character’s words have been used to create a theatric-like performance. When such an introduction is used, the reader’s attention is attracted to the text, making it easier to understand the remaining part of the text. Narratives also require the use of some stylistic devices. For instance, Taketori’s narratives have used a lot of repetition to create rhythm. The rhythm makes the narrative have a musical tone, which breaks the monotony of listening to a continuous narration. In Taketori’s narrative, repetition has been used to describe vividly some of the events and occurrences. Repetition is indeed effective in breaking the monotony. However, repetition should be used within a certain limit. The excess usage of repetition fails to create rhythm and instead makes the important message of the narrative disappear. Also, when excess repetition is applied, a narrative appears to be fictional, and the reader may develop a negative perception of the text. When creating a narrative, name selection is important. In the Taketori’s narratives, the names used to describe people and places are based on historical characters, places, or events. The use of historical names is important as it creates a connection between the narrative and historical events that bring great significance to the readers. As a result, the readers are better positioned to connect with the events in the narrative.
In Taketori’s narrative, the author is not disclosed. In the entire text, the readers are left to think about what the gender, social position, or lineage of the author could be. The use of an anonymous author is important as it eliminates stereotypes that would have been applied to the ideas. For example, if the readers had been familiar with the gender of the author, they would have been tempted to assume that the assumptions made were a result of the male ego. However, as explained in a “pivotal” narrative, the author is presumed to be a man from the selection of diction and style.
Work Cited
H. Okada, Richard. “A “Pivotal” Narrative: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.” Figures of Resistance: Language, Poetry, and Narrating in The Tale of the Genji and Other Mid-Heian Texts, Duke University Press, 1991, pp. 53–82.