There are several reasons why James Phelan's contributions to narrative theory have proved, and continue to prove, influential. One of the reasons is suggested by the way in which, adopting and developing a rhetorical perspective, he shows that narrative is a powerful mode of exploration and communication. Linked to, and in actual fact inseparable from, this reason for the significance of Phelan's work is a critical practice that is pluralistic rather than dogmatic, engaging in and furthering conversations with other scholars rather than defending a given position at all costs. This kind of critical open-mindedness and generosity is connected with Phelan's readiness to test his concepts and theories by using them in narrative analysis. If he finds that there are important aspects of a given narrative—for example, Kafka's “Das Urteil” (Phelan, “Progression”)—that his rhetorical approach to narrative cannot adequately explain, the story's interpretive challenge inspires him to modify and refine...

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