The Space of Timing. Hypotyposis as a Compositional Narrative Element

Abstract

This paper examines the function of hypotyposis in narrative texts. According to the classical rhetorics, it enables visual illusion and representation of objects, spaces, actions, that is to say, it creates an „image”, which requires a temporal element: the reader needs time to comprehend the visual constellation. In narrative texts, where the aim-oriented action seems to go consistently toward the end, this „delay” can be more interesting. Indeed, it may have an essential compositional function in narratives: its role can be illustrative and structural-aesthetic at the same time. By hypotyposis, the texts directly turns toward the reader, thus the narrative stops or slows down, and consequently, the tension of the recipient becomes more intense. Accordingly, the first part of my paper thematizes the relevant time theories related to the process of narration, and the second part examines hypotyposis in Alessandro Manzoni’s I promessi sposi. According to the hypothesis, the delays can be integral parts of the artistic texts.