Leila Rezaei

Time is one of the fundamental components of narrative, playing a crucial role in shaping its semantic world. Examining how time is reflected in a narrative is among the structuralist methods for uncovering the hidden semantic dimensions of literary works. Gérard Genette, a renowned theorist in narratology, has presented one of the most comprehensive discussions on “narrative time,” analyzing it in three dimensions: order, duration, and frequency. The present study aims to evaluate the application of time in the narratives of Armin’s two novels, If Only There Were No Red Rose and Sixteen Years, based on Genette’s tripartite framework. The research method is descriptive-analytical and relies on library sources. The findings indicate that both novels make use of the technique of anachrony. In If Only There Were No Red Rose, flashback occurs with high frequency. The continuity of narrative time in this novel unfolds in a relatively balanced manner; however, in Sixteen Years, narrative time accelerates, thereby increasing the rhythm of the story. Moreover, in both novels, singular frequency predominates, which significantly contributes to the acceleration of the narrative tempo.