StrukturVerhal

StrukturVerhal is a theoretical framework used to analyze how narrative structure and verbal realization interact to shape meaning across media. It treats structure as the arrangement of events in time—plot, chronology, pacing, and segmentation—and the verbal dimension as the production and presentation of discourse—voice, focalization, speech acts, direct and indirect discourse, and the use of discourse markers. The framework emphasizes the dynamic coupling of these dimensions: changes in the organization of events often accompany shifts in narration style, and deliberate discourse choices can reframe how the structure is perceived.

Origin and scope: The term combines Struktur (structure) with Verhal, a shortened form of narrative behavior or discourse, and is used in German-language narratology and related fields. Since the early 2000s it has appeared in scholarly writings and teaching as a descriptive tool for analyzing literary, cinematic, and interactive narratives.

Method and practice: Analysts produce a dual map—one charting structural elements (acts, scenes, arcs) and one charting verbal strategies (point of view, dialogue handling, direct speech, rhetoric). They then examine how alignments and tensions between the maps contribute to meaning, complexity, and effect.

Applications and limitations: StrukturVerhal supports close reading of complex texts, screenwriting, game design, and AI storytelling systems. It requires explicit coding conventions for reproducibility and may be challenged by cross-media differences and subjective interpretation.

Relation to other theories: It complements narratology and discourse analysis and shares concerns with structuralism, but its distinctive feature is the explicit integration of structure and discourse as interacting dimensions.

See also: narratology, discourse analysis, Freytag's pyramid, narrative theory.