Back when I was at university, the only people who ever used the word 'narrative' were literature students with an interest in critical theory. Everyone else made do with 'story' and 'plot'. Since then, the n-word has been on a long journey towards the spotlight - especially the political spotlight. Everybody in politics now seems to talk about narratives all the time; even political spin-doctors describe their job as being 'to craft narratives'. We no longer have debates, we have conflicting narratives. It's hard to know whether this represents an increase in PR sophistication and self-awareness, or a decrease in the general level of discourse.

LRB 17 February 2011 | PDF Download