Beyond Non-Linearity: Tracing 'Pulp Fiction'’s Structure and Meaning

Abstract

This article, inspired by Taborda-Hernández’s audiovisual essay, examines Pulp Fiction’s non-linear narrative and its role in the story that is told. Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 masterpiece transformed cinematic storytelling by deviating from traditional narrative structures. Tarantino’s non-linear approach mirrors the deliberate fragmentation seen in postmodern literature, eliciting diverse audience interpretations. Taborda-Hernández’s audiovisual essay delves into Tarantino’s departure from linear storytelling, introducing an experimental linear perspective that prompts inquiries into the story’s efficacy in both linear and non-linear frameworks. This exploration highlights the complex interplay between narrative, characters, and the film’s non-linear structure. Thematic depth within non-linear storytelling enriches the viewing experience prompting reflection on the complex interweaving of human existence and morality, echoing Pulp Fiction’s multi-layered structure. This article contends that the film not only promoted but successfully achieved a continuous dialogue between the audience and the filmmaker, catalyzed by the film’s use of a non-linear structure and its consequential effects.

Keywords

• Non-linear storytelling
• Postmodernism
• Quentin Tarantino
• Pulp Fiction
• Narrative structure