Anticipation (literature)
Anticipation or Prolepse (from Greek πρόληψις prólēpsis , German 'anticipation, premonition' ) means in narrative theory on the one hand a leap in time into the future, on the other hand the reader's expectation in terms of aesthetics .
When prolepsis a distinction can:
- if it does not overlap with the narrated time, it is an external prolapse
- If it remains within the narrated time, one speaks of an internal prolapse
- if it fills a gap in advance, it is a complete prolapse
- if the same event is told again later, it is a repetitive prolapse ("anticipation")
The reader's expectation is essential for the build-up of tension and the effect of blank spaces in poetic texts. By predicting the progress of the action, the reader can z. For example, future dangers for the protagonist or decisive turns of the plot are indicated that motivate him to continue reading (in serial novels) or to watch the new episode ( cliffhanger in multi-part films or TV series).