Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran

Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran

Analysis of the element of time structure in the novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns" based on Gerard Genette's Narrative Discourse theor

Document Type : Original Article

Author
fatemeh rahmanifard
PhD candidate in Persian Language and Literature, University of Esfahan, Esfahan, Iran.
10.22034/pmlj.2026.14683.1059
Abstract
The structure of time has long been regarded as one of the central issues in narrative discourse. Gérard Genette, the French structuralist, analyzes narrative time through three dimensions: order, duration, and frequency, based on the distinction between story time and narrative time. This distinction significantly influences the overall narrative impact of a text. The present study examines the time structure in the novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns” based on Gérard Genette’s theory of narrative time in order to gain deeper insight into the narrative techniques employed in the novel. Using a descriptive‑analytical method, the study finds that Khaled Hosseini introduces characters and events through both internal and external analepsis (flashbacks). Instances of prolepsis occur only when the narrator seeks to foreshadow the characters’ destinies through anticipation and psychological tension. In terms of duration, the author employs all four narrative movements. Because the story spans a long period of time, Hosseini frequently uses ellipsis and summary, which accelerate the narrative pace. At the same time, descriptive pauses are used to introduce characters, places, and events, temporarily slowing the narrative tempo. With regard to frequency, the novel employs all three narrative patterns identified by Genette. Overall, the author uses anachrony when necessary and not merely for artistic effect. In general, the narrator relies on a relatively simple temporal structure to advance the events of the narrative.
Keywords
Khaled Hosseini؛ contemporary novel؛ time؛ chronology
Genet
theory of narration
A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Research Journal of Poetry and Story Currents in Contemporary Literature of Iran
Volume 3, Issue 2
March 2025
Pages 95-115