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Quote :"Toward a Feminist Narratology"
The units of anticipation and fulfillment or problem and solution that structure plot according to narrative theorists of plot assume that textual actions are based on the (intentional) deeds of protagonists; they assume a power, a possibility, that may be inconsistent with what women have experienced by historically and textually, and perhaps inconsistent even with women's desires. […] If again and again scholars of women's writing must speak in terms of the "plotless" (usually in quotation marks, suggesting their dissatisfaction with the term), then perhaps something is wrong with the notions of plot that have followed from Propp's morphology. Perhaps narratology has been mistaken in trying to arrive at a single definition and description of plot. We will learn more about women's narratives—and about scores of twentieth century texts—if we make ourselves find language for describing their plots in positive rather than negative terms.
Because of its focus on structure, narrative theory has often been all about the text itself rather than issues to do with history and society. So, what about context? After all, narratives are produced within some kind of social setting, and as readers, we're part of a social setting, too. Some narrative theorists have started to realize the importance of these issues but, according to Lanser, there's more that needs to be done.
Lanser's focus in this passage is on the relevance of gender to narrative theory. By gender, she's not just referring to whether someone is a guy or a girl—she's also talking about the roles that males and females play within society. Lanser's main point is that narratives don't just exist in a vacuum: they reflect society.
The standard idea of narrative (the hero solving problems and fulfilling his aims) isn't necessarily something to which women can relate, says Lanser. Of course, it's not like all women's lives are the same, but Lanser points out that men and women have been treated differently in society, with men being associated with strength, power, courage and action, and because of this, Lanser suggests that theorists have been wrong to focus on a single type of narrative dealing with heroes.
Lanser's final point is that, because theorists have typically kept to narrow definitions, women's narratives have often been called "plotless." To put this right, Lanser argues that we need to recognize and explore different types of plots rather than just dismissing anything that doesn't fit in one particular box.