If you're just getting started with narrative theory, this book is a go-to text for the lowdown on some of the key concepts. It breaks narrative down into segments, looking at stuff like events, time, and location. It also outlines different ways of turning a story into a full-fledged narrative. Some of the topics under discussion include frequency, predictability, suspense, and rhythm, with Bal giving plenty of examples of texts that make use of these techniques.
Discussing the ways in which a narrative can shape the responses of its readers, Bal suggests that focalization is "the most important, most penetrating, and most subtle means of manipulation." Why do you think this might be the case?
Bal warns against treating characters as though they're real people, arguing that we need to think of them as images that are defined by their function within the narrative. For what reasons might we take this sort of approach? And how easy is it to put into practice?