Introduction: Objects and Narrative

ABSTRACT This introduction examines the often-overlooked narrative role of objects, arguing that while traditional narratology has emphasized characters and settings, objects play critical and varied roles in shaping narrative meaning. Four narratological functions of objects are distinguished: mimetic (involving their representation and role in description), structural (serving as connectors between narrative episodes), strategic (influencing plot progression and inciting narrative twists), and thematic (imparting symbolic significance). Moreover, the text considers the practical functions objects fulfill in everyday life, such as instrumental, ludic, aesthetic, and memorial. These categories are illustrated by Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and serve as a guideline for the presentation of the articles in this issue.