Technical Plenilunio: Narrative Structure, Space, Time, and Point of View
Technical Plenilunio: Narrative Structure
The novel is divided into 33 chapters or numbered sequences. A third-person narrator relates the thoughts, feelings, and memories of various characters, alternating between the inspector investigating a murder, the inspector and Father Orduña during interviews, Susan Grey waiting at a hotel, and the murderer. Some sequences focus on a single character, while others shift between multiple perspectives.
These sequences resemble interior monologues, presenting a flow of consciousness. For instance, the inspector’s thoughts might transition from the murderer’s eyes to his relationship with Father Orduña, childhood memories, the Basque Country, and romantic relationships. Unlike a first-person interior monologue, a third-person narrator conveys this stream of consciousness.
Each sequence is an independent unit, not directly linked to the next. The plot unfolds indirectly, requiring the reader to piece together the narrative from the characters’ thoughts. Sequences are not strictly chronological, with overlaps and shifts in order. The reader uses clues and details to establish the timeline, with relationships between sequences clarifying their meaning and providing cohesion. For example, the inspector’s romance with Susan Grey contrasts with the brutal attempted rape of Paula, highlighting the degradation of desire.
Setting and Space
The novel is set in a small southern town, a four-hour drive from Madrid. It’s an old city with a Renaissance core, possibly deteriorated despite its beauty, and modern, impersonal extensions. A significant location is a degraded park where crimes occur, with broken streetlights and a littered floor.
Different characters perceive this space differently. The murderer sees only filth, while Susan views the uniform buildings as reflecting the monotony of life, yet also considers the potential for a different future for children raised there. Madrid and Bilbao serve as settings for memories: Bilbao represents the inspector’s past, marked by alcohol, women, and danger; Madrid is Susan’s city, where she migrated fourteen years prior and plans to return to start anew.
Smaller spaces, such as the homes of key characters (Father Orduña, Susan Grey, the inspector), reflect their personalities.
Time
External Time
The novel is set in the 1990s, spanning one school year, from October (Fatima’s murder) to the end of the school year. However, characters’ memories extend across their entire lives, from the post-war era to the 1990s, offering a glimpse into the Franco era and the transition period.
Internal Time
The plot doesn’t follow a strict chronological order. Each sequence is a temporal unit, with overlaps and similarities. For example, Paula’s rape and attempted murder coincides with the inspector and Susan’s romance. Despite these overlaps, a fundamental order remains: the first violation, then the murderer’s capture.
Chronological disorder is more pronounced within each sequence. The flow of consciousness jumps between different time periods, reflecting the characters’ memories. Furthermore, events within a sequence may not be presented chronologically, often starting”in medias re” and then backtracking.
Point of View
A third-person narrator adopts the point of view of various characters, presenting their actions and, most importantly, their stream of consciousness. The narrator’s knowledge is limited to what the character knows. The narrator even adopts the character’s language, but maintains a degree of distance, reminding the reader of the narrator’s separate identity.
The main perspectives are those of the inspector, the murderer, and Susan Grey. Father Orduña and Father Ferreras represent contrasting approaches to the novel’s events. Victims, the parents of Fatima and Paula, and a secondary character (a prostitute connected to the murderer) also offer valuable insights.