|
Abstract
|
Narrative Medicine that is deemed to be one of the most preponderant movements in the field of Medical Humanities as well as Applied Literature, endeavours to challenge professionalism and hegemony of contemporary medical system and encourages the act of healing through literature. Although many elaborate researches done in the field of Narrative Medicine, successfully incorporate the ideas of Classical narratologists in their application of literature to the field of medical practices, very limited number of researches have addressed the significance of postclassical narratology in this profound field of study. This thesis revisits the main tenants of Narrative Medicine to prove that postclassical narrative theories have something to say about the personal aspects of Narrative Medicine and ethics. Drawing upon some of the manifestations of illness in contemporary literature, this thesis mainly argues that reading stories of illness and the application of postclassical narratology for analyzing patient narratives in the field of narrative medicine will enhance the quality of doctor-patient communication. In order to accomplish this end, I will apply the ideas and theories of three dominant figures in postclassical narratology; namely, Rita Felski, Monika Fludernik, and David Herman. Rita Felski’s “Different Modes of Textual Engagement” highlights different levels during which a reader gets to understand the narrated text and familiarizes with it. Monika Fluderniks’s emphasis on “Experientiality” in her theory of “Natural Narratology” can function as a medium through which focus on personhood and narrative experience is enhanced in the practice of Narrative Medicine. David Herman’s process of “storying the world” and “worlding the story” increases the relatedness between the reader-writer, teller-listener, and patient-clinician. The application of postclassical narratology to the field of Narrative Medicine is expected to have some significant contribution to the bod
|