English

Adjective

hypodiegetic ‎(comparative more hypodiegetic, superlative most hypodiegetic)

1. (narratology) Pertaining to a secondary narrative embedded within the primary narrative (a story within a story).
   • 1999, Schönberger-Schleicher, Esther, Charlotte and Emily Brontë: a narrative analysis of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, ISBN 9783906762012, page 182:

     In Jane Eyre this hypodiegetic level is only attained four times again, first in chapter fifteen, in which Rochester tells Jane about his mistress Celine Varens, second in chapter twenty-seven [...]

   • 2004, Doherty, Gerald, Dubliners' Dozen, page 132:

     Gretta's story, by contrast, has all the force of an authentic performance, a spontaneous speech-act that recreates its own referential validity. As such, it is the most coherent and integrated hypodiegetic act of narration in Dubliners.

   • 2014, Round, Julia, Gothic in Comics and Graphic Novels, page 71:

     Continuing this issue of depth: backgrounds are also used throughout some issues of Sandman, for example in Sandman #6 (“24 Hours”) where they provide mood, or Sandman #3 (“Dream a Little Dream of Me”) where a hypodiegetic dream story underlies the pages (see for example page 22), with the diegetic narrative sequence overlaid.

Usage notes

The secondary narrative can be a story told by a character within the main story or it can take the form of a dream, nightmare, hallucination, imaginary or other fantasy element.

Synonyms

• metadiegetic