Classical narratology has long befo

Classical narratology has long before developed fairly complete theoretical system for studies on narrative structures in literary works. By putting Scott’s historical novels within the framework of classical narratology, the scrutiny and analysis will be on the following aspects: the plot, narrative time, narrator, focalization, and characterization in sequence. These five aspects are the concrete bars constructing the whole system of the narrative. In each aspect, Scott has his own strategies and choices, and thus the uniqueness of Scott’s historical novels will be sought out as a whole. The following part of this chapter will first lay out the general plan of how each of five aspects will be analyzed with the relevant key problems specified, and the chapters following this one will conduct the analysis in detail accordingly.