Literary Device Question

[Charlie Monoxide]

What literary device or term is given to a style of novel that interspersed either flashbacks or other relevent stories between the chapters. That is to say chapter 1, 3, 5 etc is the main story, whiles chapters 2, 4, 6 are little vignettes or flashbacks of the protagonist. The "Grapes of Wrath" would be another good example of this style.

I'm sure there's a name for it. I'm currently reading "The Memory of Running", and it uses this technique.

If there's not a name for it, I would like to patent it and demand countless royalties from these idea-stealing authors ....

Charlie (copyrighted 2006) Monoxide

[Piscivore]

Umm... it's called a "flashback."

If a story is used primarily to tell a different story, in flashbacks or vis character narration, that is called a framing device or frame story.

[ceo_esq]

The technical literary term for the use of flashbacks in a narrative is "analepsis".

[TragicMonkey]

The technical literary term for the use of flashbacks in a narrative is "analepsis".

"Analepsis" sounds like a bizarre, disgusting, but fun sexual practice.

[DevilsAdvocate]

"Analepsis" sounds like a bizarre, disgusting, but fun sexual practice.Or a town in Maryland. Or both, if you play your cards right.

[Cecil]

Memento did this sort of thing, in movie form.