From Macro and Microstructures to an Innovation: The Macrofiction Structure (Published)
According to Van Dijk, all phenomena have macro and Microstructures. This paper examines the interaction of these structures, leading to an innovative one: the structure termed Macrofiction. It is a layer of patchy structures, joined together to build an untold story. Separate stories are connected through the cohesive elements they share. Moreover, the cognitive mechanism and information structure of a story on the level of the Microstructure is in harmony with the plot and the general idea of the fiction. This idea is inspired by specimens from classical Persian literature such as “The Conference of the Birds” (1177) and continues well into contemporary literature. This paper demonstrates the nature of macrofiction and the process by which it may be formed in a fictional discourse such as that found in Ebrahim Golestan’s story cycle, “Hunting the Shadow”.
Keywords: Ebrahim Golestan, Hunting The Shadow, Macrofiction, Macrostructure, Microstructure