Comparative Analysis of the Structural Components of Time in Two Ritual Works by Fariba Kalhor and Gholamreza Agha Yari based on the Theory of Gerard Genet.

Narrative time in ritual stories, especially those involving children and teenagers, holds special significance. Among the key theorists in this field is Jarre Genet, who emphasizes the importance of time through the temporal components of narrative—continuity, order, and frequency—and explores the structure of time and its role in storytelling. In the present research, based on Genet's theory, these components are examined in two ritual stories for children and teenagers: That Wonderful Smell, Whiter Than Snow, More Fragrant Than Jasmine. The purpose of this study is to identify the components of narrative time and their frequency in the mentioned narratives, in order to determine how the author has employed Genet's narrative time components in these stories. Therefore, this article analyzes these components using a descriptive-analytical method grounded in library research. The research findings indicate that the adaptation of these two stories, in terms of narrative time within the works of the two authors—both in form and content—shares common characteristics, particularly with an emphasis on religious and sacred figures. The authors employ a technique of interrupting the present tense by incorporating retrospective and prospective elements to transform calendar time into narrative time. The category of event time encompasses parts of the main characters' lives.
Introduction
One of the components of Persian literature is ritual literature, which constitutes a significant part of this cultural heritage. It can be argued that a central element in shaping the distinctive thought found in poetry and literature for children and teenagers in our country is the emphasis on ideology and belief, and particularly religious faith. Therefore, literature—especially novels and stories—is a phenomenon created by the human mind and creativity, possessing its own structure. Analyzing the structure of a literary work involves examining and interpreting the components of that work in relation to one another. The structuralist approach is important because, in addition to focusing on structure, it addresses various factors, including the culture of a society and its historical and social context. Structuralists place special emphasis on language, considering the linguistic system as the foundation for the formation of structure. Narratology can be cited as one of the fields that has advanced through structuralism.
Materials and Methods
The method of this research is descriptive-analytical which has used library tools.
Results and Discussion
Narrative time is of special importance in literary works, which is emphasized by emphasizing the importance of time in the form of narrative time components (continuity, order and frequency) in fictional narratives. Therefore, sometimes the author's main tools are hindsight, time loss, foresight, positive momentum, etc., which determine the author's narrative style.
Conclusion
As two contemporary writers, Kalhor and Aghayari share both similarities and differences in their styles and storytelling techniques. Retrospection is a key narrative device used by both authors; in particular, Aghayari employs internal hindsight through a mental review of memories in his stories. The main characters in Kalhor's works are developed by delving into the memories of elders to understand the dignity of Imam Reza (a.s.) and his family. Although futuristic time travel plays a minor role in the two mentioned stories, it represents a transcendental force within the characters, which the author explores to advance the narrative without halting the flow of time. The positive momentum, primarily driven by dialogue, is dominant in the story of That Wonderful Smell. In the story whiter than snow, it is more fragrant than Yas Aghaari, due to the fact that it tells an epic narrative style. The use of poetry and literary text results in numerous, sometimes lengthy, character descriptions, which occasionally create a suspenseful atmosphere.
Another dominant element in both stories is the use of singular frequency, which contributes to a positive progression in the two novels. In both narratives, frequent repetition is used sparingly. In the story of That Wonderful Smell, the narrator's frequency is employed extensively to highlight the personality traits of Imam Reza (a.s.). By utilizing this element, the authors effectively emphasize his character. However, in the story whiter than snow, more fragrant than jasmine, no sentences were found that demonstrate the narrator's frequency.