The Thematic Structure of Narrative and the Choice of Particle Nun in Korean

Abstract

The present paper is an experimental study which attempts to explicate the functions of nun and ka in Korean narrative discourse. Two groups of 40 Korean speakers were each asked to tell a spontaneous story while looking at a set of 12 pictures in accordance with a given title. The titles and pictures were manipulated in such a way that one of the two characters of the story would be perceived more salient. Applying the logit model to the results show that the uses of nun and ka are significantly associated with the speaker's hierarchical thematic structure and referential management in the narrative. It is found that a primary function of nun is to mark the global theme of a narrative. However, the hyperthesis that ka will be associated with local theme is not confirmed both particles are found to have a significant relationship with local theme. It is also found that ka tends to be used to introduce a new participant into a discourse, and nun to maintain it.