Die narratologiese analise van randfigure: Die siekes as groepskarakter in die Johannes-evangelie

Abstract

The narratological analysis of background characters: The ill as group character in the Gospel according to John Since the first narratological/narrative critical studies of the Gospel of John were published several decades ago, much effort has been put into the analysis of characterization in this Gospel, and the value of such approaches has been proven. A survey of such studies indicates that scholars usually focus their narratological analyses on the main and minor characters in the Gospel. Thus far, background characters have not been considered from such a perspective. In this article this issue is addressed and an example of a narratological analysis of such a group of characters, namely the ill (John 5:2-3 and 6:2), is offered. Aspects that are considered include the classification of this group character, the settings within which it appears, and the role of the reader in its construction.