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Nitin Anbhule, Shri Datta Arts & Commerce College–Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, IndiaAbstract
Time and Space serve as fundamental elements in shaping the identity of Eastern and Western narrative traditions; therefore, it is essential to analyse and elucidate their philosophical, structural, and thematic distinctions to enhance a deeper understanding of their narrative frameworks. While Western narratives often adhere to a linear, cause-and-effect chronology, Eastern narratives embrace cyclical time, layered storytelling, and fluid spatiality, influenced by Indian, Buddhist, Daoist, Confucian, and Sufi Philosophies and mythological structures. The study explores how Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and Middle Eastern storytelling integrates mythological, historical and allegorical dimensions, where time is repetitive, recursive, and multi-perspectival, rather than a progressive sequence of events. Similarly, spatial representations in Eastern narratives transcend mere geography, functioning as symbolic, dreamlike, and liminal landscapes that merge the metaphysical with the mundane. The study partly investigates the modern evolution of these narrative traditions, particularly in literature, cinema and digital storytelling, where the synthesis of fantasy and realism continues to shape contemporary narrative structures. Works such as Ramayana and Mahabharata, The Tale of Genji, Journey to the West, One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and modern adaptations in other media forms demonstrate the enduring elasticity and adaptability of Eastern storytelling. By drawing on narrative theory, postcolonial studies, and comparative literary analysis, this research underscores the diverse temporal and spatial constructs that define global storytelling traditions. The findings suggest that Eastern narrative traditions offer an alternative epistemology of time and space, challenging Western literary paradigms and influencing contemporary transmedia narratives worldwide.
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Conference: ACAH2025Stream: Literature/Literary Studies
This paper is part of the ACAH2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Anbhule N. (2025) Time and Space in Eastern Narratives: Philosophical Foundations, Structural Variations and Contemporary Adaptations ISSN: 2186-229X – The Asian Conference on Arts & Humanities 2025 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 399-407) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-229X.2025.32
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-229X.2025.32
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