raamistikus

Raamistikus is a term used in literary and media studies to describe a framing narrative or frame-based structure. It refers to a narrative technique in which a main story provides the context or frame for one or more embedded tales. The outer frame establishes the narrator, setting, or thematic coordinates, through which the audience encounters the inner narratives. The concept is widely used across literature, film, and digital media and can be expressed in a single-frame, single-embedded-story form or in more complex multi-layer arrangements.

Origin and scope: The framing device is ancient and cross-cultural, appearing in many traditions. In Estonian scholarship, raamistikus is used to analyze works where the outer narrative shapes interpretation of the inner tales. Classic examples include The Canterbury Tales, The Decameron, and The Thousand and One Nights, where a host or central situation leads storytellers to recount separate stories. In modern media, framing can take the form of a documentary frame, a present-day narration, or meta-narrative commentary.

Functions and effects: The frame can contextualize events, guide reader expectations, and create irony or distance between narratives. It allows authors to explore themes such as memory, authority, voice, or reliability of narration. Framing can also affect audience engagement by presenting multiple perspectives and by highlighting contrasts between the frame and the embedded stories. In film and television, raamistikus structures may use visual framing, time shifts, or embedded plots to connect diverse segments into a cohesive work.