Fisher Narrative Paradigm

In 1978, Walter Fisher proposed a theory of narrative communication, which advances the idea that humans inherently tell stories and like to have stories told to them. From cave paintings and pyramid drawings to folklore and bedtime stories, history indicates a long-held tradition of understanding the world in which we live through narratives. Sometimes these stories teach morals, sometimes they explain a preferred course of action, and sometimes they create identification between the storyteller and the audience. Fisher identifies three definitions of narration: (a) “individuated forms such as depiction, anecdote, and characterization”; (b) “generic forms such as argumentation and narration”; and (c) “a conceptual framework, like dramatism, for understanding human decision, discourse, and action.” He states that the third definition is his narrative ...