Narrative Structure and Emotional Engagement: A Cross-Cultural Study of Aristotelian and Classical Indian Narrative Frameworks

Abstract

Narratives convey events through their structure, which organizes the story's unfolding and evokes emotional engagement. This study examines the emotional impact of two influential narrative frameworks: The Aristotelian narrative structure from ancient Greece and the Classical Indian narrative structure rooted in Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra. Both frameworks aim to evoke emotional engagement despite cultural and temporal differences. However, many studies have explored the influence of narrative and its structure on readers; few have directly compared the emotional responses these distinct styles elicit. To fill this gap, we conducted an experimental, within-subjects study using the romantic short story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, presented in both narrative structures. In a counterbalanced design, participants (N=100) read the story with either the Aristotelian-then-Classical or Classical-then-Aristotelian order narrative structures. Their emotional responses (intensity), including valence, arousal, and dominance, were tracked and assessed across plot units, and data were analysed using a two-way mixed ANOVA. Participants reported higher levels of anger in the Classical Indian structure. Overall, the results indicate that the main effects of story structure and story order on most emotional responses were not significant independently; their interaction had a substantial impact.   This study enhances our understanding of narrative engagement by showing how structure and order influence emotional responses, offering insights into Aristotelian and Classical Indian frameworks and guiding future research on the dynamics of narrative engagement.