Back to Lexicon Directory
TEMPORAL MECHANICS/ˌænəˈlɛpsɪs/
Analepsis
Etymology: Ancient Greek 'analēpsis' (a taking up, restoration), from 'ana-' (back) + 'lēpsis' (taking).
Theorist Origin: Gérard Genette (1972)
Formulaic Definition
An evocation after the fact of an event that took place earlier than the point in the story where we are at any given moment (commonly called a flashback).
Formal Mathematical / Diagrammatic Model:
t_story < t_discourse_anchorCanonical Literature Specimen
“Odysseus sitting in the Phaeacian palace in Book IX recounting his voyage to the Underworld 10 years earlier.”
Related Lexicon Terms
ProlepsisEllipsisAnachronyFabula vs. Syuzhet