Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day
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International Journal of Literature and Arts
2021; 9(1): 25-33
http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijla
doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20210901.15
ISSN: 2331-0553 (Print); ISSN: 2331-057X (Online)
Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in
Seize the Day
He Jiexia
School of Applied Foreign Languages, Zhejiang Yuexiu University, Shaoxing, China
Email address:
To cite this article:
He Jiexia. Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day. International Journal of Literature and Arts.
Vol. 9, No. 1, 2021, pp. 25-33. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20210901.15
Received: December 31, 2020; Accepted: January 19, 2021; Published: February 27, 2021
Abstract: Impressing people with the profundity of its content and scope, Saul Bellow’s fiction is often the embodiment of
alienation, meaning of life, men’s quest for spiritual discernment, and the possibilities of human awakening. Though the content
and form have both shown their distinguishing excellence in his novella Seize the Day, it is always Bellow’s theme that is under
vast investigation, while the other charming feature of this story – its way of narration is not often discussed. This paper aims to
analyze the narrative of Seize the Day from the perspective of narratology, figuring out how omniscient narrative and temporal
structure are disposed to convey remarkable characteristics to Seize the Day. In general, this story is narrated by an omniscient
third-person narrator, but the narrative voice is not an exclusive one all the time. Besides, the focalization of the omniscient
narrator shifts whenever necessary, which devotes to exposing the instabilities of characters and events in the story. As to the
temporal structure, variations existing in order, duration and frequency generate rhetorical effects in the story and make the
structure of Seize the Day coordinate smoothly the interlaced temporal references, leading further instabilities and tensions to
the movement of the narrative. In Seize the Day, Saul Bellow has showed a mastery of narrative voice, focalization and temporal
structure, and demonstrated how incredible the narrative techniques can be in transferring a modified omniscient narrative and
the temporal manipulation of acceleration and deceleration into a dynamic narrative progression, which offers readers the option
to consider the possibilities of development, motivation and resolution in the entire narrative of the story.
Keywords: Seize the Day, Omniscient Narrative, Temporal Structure, Saul Bellow
confines the development of a simple plot within the time
1. Introduction frame of only one day in the life of Tommy Wilhelm. The
Being one of the most distinguished postwar American narrative of Seize the Day synthesizes harmoniously Bellow’s
novelists, Saul Bellow, has been the recipient of many Awards, subtle authorial skills with variations to ordinary disposals.
including most importantly the 1976 Nobel Prize for With the help of high intensity and great flexibility, this
Literature. Probably the features of Saul Bellow’s writing can novella depicts vividly an icon for a modern American in
emerge most markedly over the span of a panoramic novel, yet spiritual crisis. Bellow’s ability to establish a moving
his brilliantly-crafted novella Seize the Day draws readers in protagonist and treat weighty themes in a concentrated form
fully too. First published in 1956, Seize the Day is regarded by well explains the very success of Seize the Day.
critical consensus as one of his most fascinating masterpieces On the whole, the existing studies and researches about Saul
and his most representative works, in terms of both theme and Bellow’s Seize the Day have focused much on those thematic,
narrative technique. Sanford Pinsker in his critical essay cultural and ethical contents of his work, while only a little
describes Seize the Day as “arguably Bellow’s tightest, most attention is paid to his narrative techniques. Early in 1990,
perfectly executed fiction” [10]. Ellen Pifer contended in Saul Bellow: Against the Grain [9]
What makes Seize the Day so special is that Saul Bellow that Bellow’s fiction was radical and went against the grain of
successfully explores the enormous themes within a tightly contemporary culture with its secular pieties. Jerrald Ranta
constructed structure, making it one of both excellence and discussed Bellow’s writing construction in the article “Time
succinctness. Despite the multitudes it covers, this novella in Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day” in 1995 [11]. More recent26 He Jiexia: Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day
studies about Bellow’s works include Lee Siegel’s “Bellow’s It will not be so difficult to detect that in the novella Seize
Lonely Planet” [13], Hooti and Omrani’s modernist study on the Day, Saul Bellow adopts a third-person narrator, who does
Seize the Day [2], and Faruk Kalay’s study about personality not appear as a character in the story. Telling the story about
in this story [4], which all concern the content. Other scholars other people, such third-person narrator often gets the absolute
study this novel by comparing it with other writings like authority commanding practically godlike abilities like
Jesmin’s comparison of Death of a Salesman and Seize the omniscience, so it is often called omniscient narrator. Cases
Day [3]. Researches in the latest years still focus on the that the narrator knows everything about the story abound in
theme mainly, such as Marrouchi and Azmi’s study in 2019 this novel. Just take the beginning part of Seize the Day for
about the intellectuals in Bellow’s world of fiction [7], and example, the narrator says that the protagonist “Wilhelm felt
Sukhbir Singh’s vedantic reading of Seize the Day [14]. out of place” (p4) [1] among those old people with whom he
While the content of Seize the Day has been exhaustively lived in the same residential hotel. And “he had realized
analyzed, there exists only a very small amount of systematic that … today he was afraid. He was aware that his routine was
or even sustained analyses of Bellow’s narrative skills about about to break up and he sensed that a huge trouble … was
this novel. Some scholars have studied Bellow’s narrative in due.” (p4) And when referring to another person Rubin who is
his other famous works, for example, Li and Xu’s “Identity “the man at the newsstand” (p5), the narrator also describes
Construction: Narrative Tension in Saul Bellow’s Herzog” him as “He meant to be conversationally playful, but his
[6], but not much can be found about Seize the Day. In other voice…He didn’t want to hear.” (p8) Then, later when
words, more attention has been paid to “what” is in Bellow’s Wilhelm’s father is introduced, what in character’s mind is
fiction than to “how” Bellow constructs this work. No doubt exposed again by informing readers that “He wanted Wilhelm,
Bellow’s skills of composing a story can never be neglected. too, to feel it.” (p22) In this arrangement, the narrator of Seize
Considering the fact that Bellow’s art of narrative has been the Day has not been confined to what one particular character
inadequately examined, this paper intends to analyze the has seen or been told. The omniscient narrator gets the free
narrative of Seize the Day, showing how and from where the access to the motivation, thoughts and feelings of the
powerful impact of the novel comes and why Bellow’s characters in the story.
narrative techniques, not only his themes, can be of great Furthermore, the narrator here not only has an unrestricted
importance too. knowledge of the story’s characters but also its events. By
employing devices such as “in the old days” (p6), “he recalled”
2. Modified Omniscient Narrative (p8), “he reflected” (p14), and so on, the omniscient narrator
of Seize the Day is fairly capable of introducing the events that
The process of narrating a story is actually a way of happen at present or happened in the past when and where
construction. For years, many theorists still agree with Genette necessary. In short, standing in an outsider’s position, an
whose monographs on structuralist narratology are omniscient narrator should hold a panorama of the whole story,
authoritative even today that narrative analysis revolves and for the most part it matches the case in the narrative of
around two basic questions: “Who speaks?” – the question of Seize the Day.
the identity of the text’s narrator or narrative voice, and “Who As a matter of fact, such an omniscient narrator of Seize the
sees?” – the question of whose point of view orients the Day is not a random choice but well calculated in the
narrative text. Narrator and focalization together help readers conceiving of the narrative. Moving freely from character to
to clarify those fundamentally characteristic components of a character and event to event, the omniscient narrator here fits
narrative, for example, the difference between the voice of the exceedingly to present a tightly constructed narrative of this
omniscient narrator and the perspective of a particular novella in which the actual actions are taken only in one day
character. Therefore, the following part begins the analysis while many have to be told through characters’ recalling.
with the discussion of the two closely related issues in the What is more, the omniscient narrator’s comprehensive
narrative of Saul Bellow’s novella Seize the Day. world-view is particularly suited to reveal the protagonists’
moral strengths and weaknesses. This is a most important
2.1. An Omniscient Third-person Narrator factor in Seize the Day as the novel creates a more vivid
Narrators can be classified according to different frames of characterization than a fluctuant plot. Besides, an omniscient
reference. The simplest distinction is grammatical, of which narrator holds the possible highest degree of the exposure of
there are first-person narrator, third-person narrator and materials to readers, the narrative of Seize the Day then seems
second-person narrator (who rarely appears in narrative objective, being real and close to everyday life and easy to be
experiments). Narrators also differ according to their degree of accepted by readers. These attributes of an omniscient narrator
participation in the story. They can be internal or external, mentioned above just well serve the narration of Seize the Day
which means a narrator may or may not be a character in a and they may become the premise to the novella’s success.
story. As a result, it is important to determine the type of However, in a status like an outsider supposed to be
narrator in a narrative as this can inform readers how much the provided with every information though, it is also the
narrator injects into the narration and whether the information omniscient narrator who gets much freedom to decide how
given by the narrator in each stage of the narrative can be and how much to show readers the story. An omniscient
trusted. narrator can fully perform the function or deliberately reduceInternational Journal of Literature and Arts 2021; 9(1): 25-33 27
his role and give way to characters, which may bring both observed or the outlook from which the events are related.
variations of narrative voice and focalization. Any change Just as the various intensities of thoughts and feelings come
related to the specialty of an omniscient narrator can influence from the voice readers hear, so do they come up through the
the reader’s experience of a narrative and it then becomes perspective readers see. Focalization can devote richly to how
worthwhile to be under careful investigation. readers think and feel during the process of a narration. It
concerns the question of “who sees” in a story, another
2.2. Focalization fundamental component of narrative, which is crucial and
A person is capable of both speaking and seeing, but in a unavoidable in the study of a narrative.
narrative speaking and seeing may not be attributed to the 2.2.1. Free-focalization and Its Adjustment
same agent. Different from narrator, the agent that sees in the Usually the narrator will be the focalizer, but focalization
centre of consciousness is titled the term “focalization”. can change even from sentence to sentence during the course
“Focalization is Gerard Genette’s term for this inescapable of a narrative, because it is not necessarily achieved through a
adoption of a (limited) perspective in narrative, a viewpoint single consistent narrative consciousness. In view of the fact
from which things are implicitly seen, felt, understood, and that different types of focalization can cause different
assessed” [15]. This term pervades in analyzing narrative texts rhetorical effects, it is necessary to touch upon the category of
nowadays for the reason that “Genette’s treatment has the focalization first. Though classifying in this area can never be
great advantage of dispelling the confusion between neat, Genette’s trichotomy of nonfocalization, internal
perspective and narration which often occurs when ‘point of focalization and external focalization is still classical today, so
view’ or similar terms are used” [12]. Therefore, being more that, draw from Genette’s language, Michael Kearns offers a
precise, this technical term “focalization” is widely accepted sketch as follow:
by most narratologists after Genette when discussing such
topics as the position from which the events of a narrative is
Table 1. Types of Focalization [5]
TYPE CHARACTERISTIC EXAMPLE
Nonfocalized, or Narrator > Character “Omniscient”
Narrative with Free (Narrator says more half of Bleak House
Focalization than character knows.)
Narrative with Internal Narrator=Character Fixed: What Maisie Knew
Focalization (Fixed or (Narrator says what character Variable: Mrs. Dalloway
Variable) perceives and knows.)
Narrative with External Narrator < Character “The Killers”
Focalization (Narrator says less than character knows.)
According to this classification, the narrative in Seize the emphases, offering readers the chance to discover not only
Day is nonfocalized, because in the story the narrator tells Wilhelm’s insufficiency but also his good qualities that may
more than the character knows. Since the omniscient narrator have been long forgotten by characters in the story, even
is frequently the focalizer in this novel, readers often see Wilhelm himself.
things through the narrator’s eyes, just as they often hear his The omniscient narrator will not give up his position to see
voice. However, this is not by any means always the case. The events without any reason. Every adjustment of the godlike
narrator may maintain a strict third-person narrative voice but narrator’s focalization is on certain purpose. The omniscient
meantime let the events be perceived through the eyes of focalizer in Seize the Day prefers to take turns to internal
characters. Examining the early scenes in Seize the Day focalization or even external one under certain circumstances.
closely, the position of observing things changes now and then Note the debut of Dr. Tamkin: “Someone in a gray straw hat
from the narrator’s to Wilhelm’s or to his father’s. When with a wide cocoa-colored band spoke to Wilhelm in the
Wilhelm noticed his own reflection in the glass cupboard, “He lobby.” (p57) An omniscient narrator of course knows who
saw a big round face, a wide, flourishing red mouth, stump this “someone” is, but at that time Wilhelm did not realize it
teeth.” (p6-7) Later while in his father’s eyes, Wilhelm’s was actually Dr. Tamkin. In this case, the narrator’s
image was viewed as follows: “Dr. Adler thought that focalization shifts to the character’s limited one. The
Wilhelm looked particularly untidy this morning – unrested, information is restricted only to Wilhelm’s partial knowledge
too…He was breathing through his mouth and he…rolled his and experience, yielding hence a sense of mystery to Dr.
red-shot eyes barbarously.” (p32) Later on, Wilhelm’s Tamkin.
appearance was mentioned again, but this time through the Then, when Tamkin finally disappeared after their
narrator’s perspective: “He was not really so slovenly as his investment turned out to be a failure, Wilhelm was in
father found him to be…His mouth, though broad, had a fine desperate search of him — “At the top of the closet door sat a
outline, and his brow and his gradually incurved nose, dignity, gray straw hat with a cocoa-colored band. ‘Tamkin,’ said
and in his blond hair…” (p42) Via the focalization on different Wilhelm…The hat was taken down, the latch lifted, and a
people’s vision, Wilhelm’s image is revealed with different stranger came out who looked at him with annoyance.” (p105)28 He Jiexia: Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day
Again, it is Wilhelm’s internal focalization. The omniscient not overtly limited by a fixed perspective, and each choice the
narrator should have the idea where Tamkin had gone to and narrator makes during the narration to present the events and
out of question that stranger was not Tamkin. On the contrary, characters is often of rhetorical effect. The omniscient narrator
Wilhelm did not know that and he was so eager to find Tamkin may or may not exercise his ability fully to see and say
at that moment. The internal focalization sacrifices everything. When the omniscient narrator comes to be the
omniscience for a greater intimacy with the character. focalizer, he is free to look into any character’s mind or any
Narrative with such internal focalization arouses readers’ echo dark corner of each event in the story. As a result, the
to Wilhelm, as readers are prevented to know any more omniscient narrator portrays all physical and emotional
information about Dr. Tamkin except what Wilhelm has got. actions of characters as well as the inferred establishment of a
Because of his limited focalization, readers may become as moral norm in the novella Seize the Day. For instance, through
anxious as Wilhelm to find out where Tamkin is, which the difference of Wilhelm’s position and his father’s to
increases much tension to the later part of the narrative in perceive things, contradiction and tension of the father-son
Seize the Day. relationship can be revealed.
Besides the employment of internal focalization, external However, the narrative is not a creation of all in balance. It
focalization emerges too in the narrative of Seize the Day, is always the case that a particular stress is laid on a particular
though it is not in large amount like internal one. One instance character. In order to focus on this particular character,
is the beginning of Chapter Five — “Patiently, in the window internal focalization is used then to give readers the
of the fruit store, a man with a scoop spread crushed impression of seeing what the focused character is seeing or
ice…There were also Persian melons, lilacs…The many street feeling. In the narrative of Seize the Day, the protagonist
noises came back after a little while from the caves of the Tommy Wilhelm is no doubt the main focused character.
sky.”(p77) Here, peaceful scene is displayed through the Wilhelm’s focalization greatly shortens the distance between
film-like external focalization, which just forms sharp contrast the character and the reader, which well informs readers about
to the furious struggle in Wilhelm’s mind. And another how he views the world or others and simultaneously reflects
example is at a special moment that is the ending of the novel, his own personality. With Wilhelm’s own obsession and bias,
when at last Wilhelm found himself in a stranger’s funeral the whole depiction of the narrative possesses many
during his search for Tamkin. The narrator does not tell similarities occurring in everyday life. What is interesting,
readers whose funeral it is, and by adopting “one woman while Wilhelm’s inner world is intensively explored through
said…said one man…said another bystander” (p118), the internal focalization, the other characters’ mental activities,
identification of people in the funeral is avoided too. At least, like Tamkin’s typically, are deliberately excluded in the novel.
people present in the funeral should know who the dead is, but In the stock market, readers can only guess what Tamkin’s
in such scene it seems as if the narrator has pretended to know viewpoint is and later doubt where he is like Wilhelm does.
less than the characters. With the help of external focalization, The internal focalization disguises Tamkin’s feelings,
the story presents objective or symbolic moments, leaving opinions, and perceptions, establishing a mysterious image
readers only to feel the background and speculate certain and bringing much suspense to the story.
hidden meanings. On the other hand, the adoption of external focalization in
The above gives the evidence that the focalization in the different scenes can then generate another kind of suspense to
narrative of Seize the Day is adjusted without much restriction. the story. The one at the very end of the story is a good
In this sense, it will be more suitable to say that in an example where the camera-like external focalization enhances
omniscient narrative the focalization is free rather than greatly the visual beauty of the final scene in the church,
non-focalized. Take one typical description as an example, providing readers with the chances to break for a while and
when in the stock market, “Mr. Rappaport grumbled and breathe some fresh air during the infusion of Wilhelm’s heavy
whiffed at his long cigar, and the board, like a swarm of psychological burden. On the page ahead of the last, there still
electrical bees, whirred” (p87). In the first half of the sentence, exist plenty of words exposing Wilhelm’s confusing hidden
the omniscient narrator is the focalizer, as Mr. Rappapot’s thoughts. Due to the sudden change of focalization in the very
action is seen from his viewpoint. Contrarily, the second half end, readers lose the access to Wilhelm’s specific wonderings,
of the sentence is viewed through Wilhelm’s position, because but can only find pure description as “He heard it and sank
it is actually in his eyes that the board seems like a swarm of deeper than sorrow, through torn sobs and cries toward the
electrical bees. Despite the maintenance of narrative voice in consummation of his heart’s ultimate need.” (p118) The
the whole sentence, the focalization turns to internal one deprivation to Wilhelm’s inner world caused by the external
without any clear declaration in the middle, which vividly focalization is a major stimulative to a serene but open end of
shows how dazed Wilhelm was in the market. A qualified Seize the Day.
omniscient narrator like the one in Seize the Day is good at The choice of focalization is virtually crucial for the way a
deciding when and where to move his position, offering narrative is perceived by readers. The distance between
readers ways to observe the story from different perspectives. readers and characters varies in different types of focalization,
which influences the assessment of the elements and their
2.2.2. Rhetorical Effects of the Focalization relations in a narrative. The omniscient narrator’s free
In the narrative of Seize the Day, the omniscient narrator is focalization in Seize the Day reminds readers of theInternational Journal of Literature and Arts 2021; 9(1): 25-33 29
ready-made ethic accepted by the majority. The protagonist generate further instabilities and tensions in the movement of
Wilhelm’s internal focalization stimulates readers’ sympathy the narrative. Moreover, any changes of temporal structure,
for the character and helps the story to be more lifelike. And the arrangement of time in narration, may lead to alterations of
the objective external focalization cools the fierceness of the other narrative elements like narrator and focalizer. Therefore,
conflicts in the story on particular occasions, which devotes to the study of temporal relationship is bound to be one of the
a flexibility of the narrative rhythm. Focalization in Seize the most distinctive aspects in the analysis of a narrative.
Day is free to change whenever necessary but never a random Significantly, time is also a fantastic aspect in the novella
one. Seize the Day. The whole story is presented within the time
frame of one day in the life of the protagonist Tommy
2.3. A Modified Omniscient Narrative Mode Wilhelm. On this important day, Wilhelm took actions but
Take the novel as a whole, Seize the Day carries an continuously agonized over past mistakes and held other
omniscient narrator who tells and sees the story as an outsider. people back from memories. The temporal manipulation in
A narrative by an omniscient narrator is assumed to know the narrative of Seize the Day creates such effect as if the
everything connected with the story. In such a narrative, the novel interweaves what happens at present with what
third-person anonymous narrator holds a broader background happened in the past, showing an obviously leaping
and a panoramic view, looking into every character, every characteristic of the story. The “recognition of how Wilhelm
event of the story. For novels like Seize the Day where the relates to time is important to understanding Bellow’s
characterization and motif are important while the plot and handling of time in the novella – indeed, to understanding
structure are tight, such mode of narrative is a good choice. Wilhelm’s story in general” [11]. Therefore, the part of this
However, in the prominent omniscient narrative of Seize the paper focuses on those time-related issues in Saul Bellow’s
Day, the general narrator does not stick to his authority all the Seize the Day.
time. Characters’ voice or focalization is allowed, especially 3.1. Order of Time
the protagonist Wilhelm’s one. In such cases, the narrator and
focalizer may not be identical. The withdrawal of the Statements about order refer to the question of “when” and
omniscient narrator’s role in Seize the Day modifies the whole discuss the relation between the assumed succession of events
narrative mode into a multidimensional one. The duality of and their actual disposition of appearance in the narrative. An
Wilhelm’s role as narrator and character, or as focalizer and event can be narrated in advance of the moment it occurs on
character at the same time, becomes a clear indication of one the timeline, which is called flash-forward or prolepsis.
important characteristic in the narrative of the story. The Conversely, an event can also be narrated in the context of
omniscient narrative in Seize the Day perfectly includes the events that occur later, which is called flash-back or analepsis.
attributes of the limited first-person narrative voice and Both prolepsis and analepsis constitute a temporally second
focalization, manifesting a complexity and flexibility an narrative compared with the narrative into which it is inserted.
omniscient narrative can be. And both prolepsis and analepsis, are truly qualified to uplift
The smooth shift of narrative voice and the focalization the rhetorical effects of a narrative.
actually explores the skill of the intricate weaving of various The novella Seize the Day traverses one fateful day in
events and characters accomplished through a complex Tommy Wilhelm’s life. The chronological time of this “day of
substructure of the narrative. In this way, readers can pick up reckoning” (p85) establishes the first narrative in the story. It
various intensities of thoughts and feelings from diverse begins from the moment Wilhelm went out of his hotel room
voices, so do they pick up thoughts and feelings from different in the morning, and ends when Wilhelm found himself finally
perspectives. Furthermore, the subtle modification of released in a funeral in the very afternoon on that day.
narrative voice and focalization in an overall omniscient However, the simple plot of first layer does not mean the story
narrative mode just like the one of Seize the Day brings much is showed in a linear temporal order. Seize the Day is
freedom in ordering time (and space) within a narrative text, especially affluent in analepses or retrospections. This story
constituting one of the primary ways of conducting meanings actually alternates with troublesome events happening now
in a story and meanwhile turning the whole narrative into a and those painful ones happed before in Wilhelm’s life,
more attractive one. demonstrating all his physical and psychical struggles.
The analepses in Seize the Day are so prominent that they
3. Temporal Structure in Seize the Day have occupied almost half of the narrative. Those analepses
evoke past events happening on the preceding moment to the
Narrative consists of a succession of events, which starting point of the first narrative with or even without a clear
inevitably creates a sense of time. A narrative can portray the temporal mark. Sometimes, the omniscient narrator in Seize
features of temporal existence and it is in fact one of the ways the Day informs readers a past event is narrated by introducing
that human beings organize the understanding of time. The phrases like “four days ago” (p8), “on that very same
temporal manipulation interweaves the acceleration and afternoon” (p85), or much vaguer ones like “at first” (p17),
deceleration making the whole narrative into a progression – “then” (p34), and so on. Meanwhile, some analepses are
“the movement of a narrative from beginning to end and the character-motivated. Typical examples lie in Wilhelm’s
principles governing that movement” [8] – which can interminable memories. When at lunch Dr. Tamkin talked with30 He Jiexia: Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day him about the father-son relationship, “Wilhelm began to in the text, is then of much ironic effect and thematic think about his own two sons and to wonder how he appeared importance. Wilhelm is indeed so deeply rooted to the past to them and what they would think of him.”(p93) This issue that he no longer seems relevant to the present, needless to say aroused his recollection constituting the following whole the future. paragraph. Then, his recalling moved from his son to his wife in separation who in his opinion “wanted ruin him, while she 3.2. Duration of Time wore the mask of kindness” (p94). His wife then reminded Another facet of time is duration. It relates to the question him of his lover Olive who “would have married him if he had of “how long” and looks at the connection between the span of obtained the divorce.” (p94) In this example, the contents of the time that events are supposed to have actually taken up and the remembering, fearing, and hoping in Wilhelm’s thoughts the length or the amount of the text devoted to narrating those evoke past events one by one. Such character-motivated same events. Such relation can create an effect of rhythm in a analepsis appears without any temporal signals, displaying narrative and naturally yield the pace or speed as the effect of further Wilhelm’s characterization in detail and blurring acceleration and deceleration. Two poles of the acceleration readers’ sense of time to much degree. and deceleration can be ellipsis and descriptive pause. And Actually, many analepses in anachronies are not of a there may be an infinite range of variations between the two clearly-stated distinction to the timeline of the first narrative in poles involved, “but in practice these are conventionally Seize the Day. It is always the case that when one current event reduced to summary and scene” [12], correspondently leading is taking on, another related past one is inspired to emerge then. to the effects of acceleration and deceleration. During the conversation between Wilhelm and his father, after In the narrative of Seize the Day, scene is more dominant Dr. Adler mentioned Wilhelm’s car, the narrative then inserts than summary. In scenes, the span of story time and the length “Wilhelm’s old Pontiac was parked in the street…he used it of narrative text are considered to be identical, or the latter can only on Saturdays…Last Sunday…he had gone out to…” (p33) be even longer than the former. Besides those descriptive By this means, the narrative turns back to the description of scenes that introduce settings or backgrounds of the story, a events that happened on last Sunday which later is proved to purer scenic form may just be of those dialogues in the be a good illustration of Wilhelm’s deep love for his narrative. In Seize the Day, dialogues are exposed in a great passed-away mother. Then, several minutes later in the same amount, and the longest section makes up even a whole first narrative time, when his father saw Wilhelm’s dirty hands, chapter, that is, dialogues of Chapter Three between Wilhelm Dr. Adler’s recollection was roused: “Only once – and never and his father. In this chapter, the conflict between father and again, he swore – had he visited his room…”(p36) These dirty son as well as many Wilhelm’s other troubles are reflected hands stimulate Dr. Adler’s impression of his son’s messed from the contents of dialogues added by the way of talking. As room, a side evidence of Wilhelm’s chaotic life. Arranged in a matter of fact, in the first narrative timeline, this such ways, events in Dr. Adler’s memory may happen before conversation may only last within an hour because it happened events stated in the omniscient narrator’s inserted narration, so when the two were having breakfast together. However, the the analepses to the first narrative in Seize the Day are not sense of time is much prolonged due to the lengthy dialogues themselves in chronological order too. These immethodical which may just parallel the choking and ceaseless tribulation analepses of anachronies are just tanglesome in the whole in Wilhelm’s lifelong time. narrative of the novel, forging a messy temporally second Similarly, distinct instances of deceleration also include narrative in Seize the Day. Such anachronies are closely conversations between Wilhelm and Dr. Tamkin. On their way related to the triggering events in the first narrative, but in back to the stock market after lunch, in order to drag on, clutter within their own system, which is a bit like a Tamkin kept repeating his theories, while Wilhelm, lost in his mouthpiece of Wilhelm’s unorderly world. thoughts again, was skeptical in mind but supportive in words. The constant temporal shifts in the manipulation of time in Though it is only “a few hundred yards separated the cafeteria Seize the Day make the order in narrative a much dazzling one. from the broker’s” (p99), the page-by-page dialogues bear the This feature of order in time can be of both fantastically sense of a longer time, which gives birth to readers’ sharing mimetic and thematic functions. Picking up memories when anxiety with Wilhelm to arrive the broker’s earlier. Such seeing relative things are natural and integral in everyday life, sections of scene in the narrative generate the effect of pauses so the disordered analepses in Seize the Day enhance the in temporal span and engender willies a lot to both the mimetic effect of the narrative in this sense. While the character and the reader. The use of scenes in Seize the Day analepses clarify themselves in great abundance, the nearly decelerates successfully the pace of the whole narrative at nonexistence of prolepses in Seize the Day may imply proper moments, making an ordinary day seem extremely Wilhelm’s little hope of the future and thus emphasize again long and thus significant enough to the temporal Wilhelm’s great immersion in the past. As both Wilhelm’s consciousness. physical and mental worlds are in chaos, the anachronies, to be Meanwhile, the large quantity of scenes does not shadow more specifically those suffocating analepses in Seize the Day, the function of summaries. In a summary, a given story-period have convincingly shown Wilhelm’s ambiguous temporal is compressed into a relatively short length of narrating. For consciousness of past and present, which, if related to the example, the omniscient narrator in Seize the Day gives his novel’s title and Dr. Tamkin’s repeating advice “Seize the Day” comments about Wilhelm’s decisions that “This was typical of
International Journal of Literature and Arts 2021; 9(1): 25-33 31
Wilhelm. After much thought and hesitation and debate…Ten “joined in with his own panting laugh” (p41). Later, when
such decisions made up the history of his life…” (p23) By this talking with his father, Wilhelm again “struggled for breath”
means, all Wilhelm’s false decisions in his life are made clear (p49). Contrarily, when he saw the price of rye he bought
via six sentences. Through summaries, more information can rising, Wilhelm “could breathe more easily” (p81), at least for
be offered in brevity to perfect the plot of the novel. Readers a while. Wilhelm was paying so heavily for his mistakes that
may reconfirm their initial understandings about the he just could not breathe normally. These descriptions of pant
characters or events in the story of Seize the Day. On the other or breath at various moments are self-evident about their
hand, summaries may be regarded as nothing important at implications. The high frequency of Wilhelm’s pant shows his
times, as more essential facts call for more detailed heavy burden of failures, and a sudden change of his breath
descriptions as usual. The narrative thus shifts the reader’s indicates that even a very faint hope would be enough to give
attention to the scenario of more important thematic meanings. Wilhelm a break through these sufferings. The singulative
The acceleration of summaries to the narrative takes harsh narrative of narrating n times what happens n times, is itself an
comparison with the deceleration of scenes. The employment insistence to the vital role of the target phenomenon.
of summaries speeds up the narrative and belongs to As to the second type repeating narrating, it is the case that
indispensable parts of forming a narrative rhythm. telling n times what happens once. Repetitive cases function
In fact, the choice of employing scene or summary and the influentially in Seize the Day. For several times, Wilhelm’s
question that to what degree they should be integrated are risky investment induced by Dr. Tamkin is narrated. Early
often of rhetorical effect. The favoritism of scene or summary when Wilhelm was talking with Rubin, the narrator mentioned
can point out the degrees in the centrality of different events, it was truly not good for Wilhelm to hold orders of lard in the
as it is always those more important events that gain the commodities market. And when Mr. Perls and Dr. Adler
detailed illustration, while minor ones are compressed. mentioned Dr. Tamkin, again the narrator explained Wilhelm
Consequently, if the most central event is mentioned lightly by had given a power of attorney over his last seven hundred
summing up, the effect of shock or irony will then come into dollars to speculate for Tamkin in the market. Later in Chapter
being. The deceleration of scenes and acceleration of Four, following the reporting phrase “five days ago” (p58), an
summaries cooperate with each other to originate a rhythm of elaborate section was devoted to the retrospect of how
the narrative. Besides, as duration often stays within a rather Wilhelm gave the money to Tamkin for venture. The repetitive
indefinite range of the unmarked case, a skillfully-weaved narration about Wilhelm’s last gambling causes readers to
narrative like Seize the Day just modulates perfectly the notice its importance more intensely. This is actually his most
different variations in duration of time, directing readers’ current plague that is seemingly pendent but doomed to be
notice and concentration without much artificial imprint. frustrated. An event like this investment possessing an
absolutely authoritative position stands out in evidence by the
3.3. Frequency of Time treatment of repeating narrating.
The last aspect to study temporal manipulation is frequency. The third type of frequency is iterative narrating which
It concerns the question of “how often” and examines the narrates once what happens n times. Such temporal structure
relation between the number of times an event happens and the in practice is closely related to the issue of duration, as
number of times it is narrated in the text. Frequency often iterative narrating often takes the form of summary which is
involves the issue of repetition. Strictly speaking, no repeated one of the major aspects of duration discussed above. As a
events are quite same in text, since the new context may matter of fact, the three aspects of time – order, duration and
change their meanings. However, repetition is more a mental frequency – are tied in and bound tightly together in a
construction. Considering frequency as mental formation, narrative text. As summary frequently asks for recourse to the
there are three forms of repetition relations between story services of the iterative narrating, so does scene do to the
events and their narration – singulative narrating, repeating singulative narrating. More importantly, though analepsis (a
narrating, and iterative narrating. These three can be enclosed deviation of order) often takes the form of summary, in Seize
in a narrative text synthetically. the Day it is a description that is more likely to appear in
Singulative narrating refers to narrating once or n times analepses. Such manipulation of time varies the sense of
what happens once or n times. In this type, each mention of an duration in Seize the Day and creates a unique rhythm to the
event in narrative corresponds to one occurrence in the story. whole narrative.
The subtype of narrating once what happens once is the most Furthermore, the alternation of scene and summary with a
common narrative form to which particular explanations are variety of singulative, repetitive, and iterative narrating can let
unnecessary. But the cases of narrating n times what happens n anachronies in narrative time be more plausible, which
times may draw readers’ attention fully to the speciality of achieves the mimetic function. In Seize the Day, much stress is
those narrated events. In Seize the Day, descriptions of placed on the analepses in the arrangement of order rather than
Wilhelm’s pant or breath emerge for many times, which prolepses that seldom exist in the story. And the preference for
especially catches readers’ eyes. At newsstand in the morning, deceleration to acceleration by narrating more singulatively or
Wilhelm was “laughing, panted a little” (p6). When thinking repetitively than iteratively also motivates inquiries to both the
of his father, “Wilhelm let out a long, bard breath” (p12). plot and theme of Seize the Day. The lowered speed of
When talking about Dr. Tamkin with Mr. Perls, Wilhelm narrating and the intricate description of past knotty events32 He Jiexia: Modified Omniscient Narrative and Temporal Structure in Seize the Day
greatly enhance the effect of demonstrating the weight of 4.2. Relationship Between Temporal Structure and
Wilhelm’s lifelong psychological and economical burden. The Focalization
interlaced past and present as well as the depth of being
involved in pinpoints of the narrative blur the consciousness Not only the narrator, focalization also affects the temporal
of time (and place) to such extent that it elevates the whole manipulation. The alteration of scene and summery (aspects
ubiquity of the story. All Wilhelm’s interrogatories to life of duration) along with integrated use of singulative, repetitive
seem to be familiar to every ordinary man, making the whole and iterative narrating (aspects of frequency) can bring about
story of Seize the Day be of much philosophical depth but at changes in focalization. As a rule, nonfocalization in an
the same time of close intimity to readers. omniscient narrative is panchronic because of an
unpersonified and unrestricted focalizer; while internal
focalization is somewhat synchronous because of the
4. Relationship Between Temporal information regulated by the focalizer. And external
Structure and Narrative focalization can be the most synchronous one due to its
film-like operation. Therefore, an external focalizer is strictly
As temporal structure is one component in all the elements of limited to the present; an internal focalizer is limited mainly to
a narrative, the manipulation of time is correlative to issues like his own knowledge about present and past; and an omniscient
narrator, voice, focalization, and so forth. Any special treatment focalizer has all the temporal dimensions at his disposal.
of time may cause certain changes in the whole narrative mode, In Seize the Day, scenic narration gets the predominance as
so that the relationship between manipulation of time and other explained above. In such cases, the verbosely singulative
narrative aspects is worth to be shed a little more ink to. narrating seems to have relatively effaced the focalizer for a
short while. In this case, the original omniscient focalizer or
4.1. Relationship Between Temporal Structure and Narrator even a temporary internal focalizer in the narrative of Seize the
Temporal manipulation can in a way reflect the narrator’s Day makes place for an external one to a great extent, which
function. Since an omniscient narrator like the one in Seize the allows readers to feel being personally on the scene.
Day has an unlimited knowledge of events, he is free to narrate In respect of the focalizer in repeating narrating, it may not
any character’s past or future at any time. While a first-person be the uniform one in those repetitions. Consequently, what
narrator is limited within his knowledge, thus he may be more happens once can be narrated many times with different
confined to what he knows about the past and can be never focalizers, disclosing diverse facets of one event and unveiling
sure of what will happen in the future, but it will also seem inconsistent opinions of different individuals with their
natural for a first-person narrator to allude to a future which distinctive personalities. Such statement can maintain a great
has already become a past. deal of truth to the narrative of Seize the Day when applying to
However, in Seize the Day, both the omniscient narrator and the issue of Wilhelm’s unhappy marriage mentioned many
the characters temporally performing the role of narrator rarely times in Wilhelm’s conversation with his father, with Dr.
mention Wilhelm’s future. The fact that the omniscient narrator Tamkin, with Margaret through phone and with himself in his
deliberately refuses to choose prolepsis and prevents any meditation. By such arrangement, each one’s view is aired.
character even to think about or give hints about Wilhelm’s This helps the narrative to be more authentic and indicates the
future contains the implication that Wilhelm is such kind of omniscient narrator’s efforts to be more objective.
person related to no future. Too much emphasis is paid on Finally, focalizer in iterative narrating can also vary. Events
Wilhelm’s past in Seize the Day. Whenever Wilhelm felt bad he that are narrated in summary may be seen from the omniscient
would think of something bad in past and when he felt good he narrator’s eyes or the characters’. For most time, general
just recalled those good old days. For example, in the stock introductions like “As usual, his coat collar was turned up…”
market, Wilhelm always felt extremely blundering, but when he (p32) are viewed from the omniscient narrator. But summaries
saw the price of rye rising “he was removed to his small yard in like “When she would get up late on Sunday morning…” (p94)
Roxbury. He breathed…He heard…No enemy wanted his life.” emerging in memories are actually revealed from Wilhelm’s
(p82) Maybe the neglect of future by the omniscient narrator just standpoint. The comparatively stable summary interwoven
provides readers with the very reason why Wilhelm always made with different focalizations witnesses the inconstant profile of
wrong decisions in the story. The deviation in order of time is led a narrative like Seize the Day, manifesting again the close
by the omniscient narrator’s preference on purpose. relationship between time and narrative focalization.
Similar interpretation can be deduced likewise in the On the whole, temporal relationship has visible features in
narrator’s favor for deceleration in duration and singulative the narrative of Seize the Day. All different aspects of time
narrating in frequency of time. Therefore, it can be concluded have dedicated to enriching the development of the complete
that any kind of temporal manipulation that is excluded by an narrative. Temporal structure can be divided into two layers in
omniscient narrator can be of meanings. The freedom of this novel with linear one of the first narrative and a disordered
temporal manipulation may be restricted by different types of one of a temporally second narrative attributed to the
narrator; yet, the presentation of an omniscient narrator with interlaced narrator’s flash-backs and the character’s
restriction in temporal manipulation brings rhetorical effects recollections. The two layers of the narrative time then mix
to readers of Seize the Day. with each other in an undercurrent of the narration through theInternational Journal of Literature and Arts 2021; 9(1): 25-33 33
deviations of order, duration and frequency in temporal penetrating understandings and they are even untranslatable
manipulation. The narrative of Seize the Day can never be so into words. This analysis of the narrative in Bellow’s Seize the
winning and charming without the special arrangement of Day has demonstrated how incredible the author’s narrative
relations within narrative time as well as those between time techniques can be in transferring a narrative into a dynamic
and other narrative aspects like narrator and focalization. movement. Saul Bellow is such a novelist that his fiction is
densely nuanced in the progression of the narrative.
5. Conclusion
The powerful impact of Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day comes References
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