Multiple Focalization in Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s “In a Grove” and Julian Barnes’ Talking It Over

Abstract

If we consider focalization to be the perspective that presents narrative situations and events, i.e. visual or conceptual position that presents narrative situations, this paper will present how Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s short story “In a Grove” and Julian Barnes’ novel Talking It Over – unlike the classic, i.e. traditional narration where narration varies, where it is impossible to determine or includes the concept of zero focalization – include a located position of the narrator that imply a visual or conceptual suspension when the presented depends strictly on the perspective of the characters that speak. In those cases, we define that position as multiple focalization. Since focalization can be internal (adopting the perspective of a single character) and external (thoughts and feelings of the characters), we will notice that neither Akutagawa nor Barnes are satisfied with such a division. Namely, overpassing the definitions set by Gérard Genette when he discusses external focalization and specifies the place of the focalization (point of view) inside diagenesis (the primary narration), but outside of all of the protagonists, by insisting on the difference between focalization (who sees/notices/understands) and voice (who speaks/narrates), Akutagawa and Barnes express the desire to blend these in the protagonists (focalizers), with various results.