A distinctive feature of narrative fiction compared to other literary texts is the representation of the succession of events. Therefore, events are one of the three basic elements of narrative fiction, along with a verbal presentation of events and the process of writing or speaking.
Genette distinguishes these aspects as ‘histoire,’ ‘récit,’ and ‘narration,’ and Rimmon-Kenan uses the concepts of ‘story,’ ‘text,’ and ‘narration’ accordingly. Therefore, the histoire is a story or narrated events, and it is abstracted from the text. It must be reconstructed in actual chronological order along with the participants in the events and not in the sequence presented in the story.
Considering various examples, one can understand how histoire differs from its representation in the text. The story ‘The Majesty of the Law’ has several key events, and their actual sequence is as follows:
- Dan Bride, an older adult who earlier cared for his mother, equipped his house with his hand and never married.
- Dan is angry with another man and smashes his head, which causes the victim to go to the hospital and demand a fine.
- Bride refuses to pay the fine and knows he will be arrested for this act. He prepares for the arrival of a policeman – he even buys a treat for him.
- A police sergeant receives a warrant for Dan and goes to see him. They drink tea and have a lengthy conversation, and a few days later, Dan goes to prison.
The piece’s author presents the events in a different order, initially describing Dan and the sergeant meeting and then revealing details of the crime. Thus, he allows readers to get to know the character before talking about his actions, strengthening the impression of the story.