Notes on Narrative Techniques:

Marginal Notes for a Theory of the Short Story and the Novel

Abstract

This text presents a systematic analysis of the essential elements that shape the narrative structure of the short story and the novel from a theoretical and descriptive perspective. Based on a review of classical and contemporary literary sources, this study reflects on the linguistic nature of the character, the role of the narrator, the organization of the plot, and the function of time and context in the construction of the narrative. It also examines the recurrence of archetypes and their relationship with universal symbolic traditions, integrating insights from analytical psychology and formalist studies of narrative discourse. Using examples from world literature, it illustrates the various narrative techniques that sustain the internal dynamics of fiction. Overall, the study contributes to applied literary theory by offering conceptual tools for understanding the art of storytelling and the structural resources that ensure coherence and aesthetic depth in narrative works.