Zeit, Tempus und Erzählperspektive in Kebir Ammis Sur les pas de Saint Augustin

Abstract

This paper examines the crucial role of verbal tenses for the text constitution and, especially, for the creation of narrative perspectives in the tale about St. Augustin's life, Sur les pas de Saint Augustin, written by the contemporary ’Maghrebian‘ author Kebir Ammi. On the one hand, it will be explored how the different tenses contribute in a substantial way to the creation of narrative perspectives, respectively, to narrative focalizations. On the other hand, the importance of the tenses in the structuring and organization of the individual episodes will be highlighted and, last but not least, their contribution to the semiotic dimension of the text. Finally, in an overarching perspective, the article casts light on the narrative potential inherent in tense categories and on the relevance of a modern tense theory for narrative research.