metanarrative

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can someone offer an explanation as to what a "meta-narrative" is?

(meta) meaning "outside" and (narrative) meaning "telling a story"


I would assume that meta narrative is.... A story about telling stories?

Alternatively, it might mean "A story within a story"

Alternatively, meta narrative may be another name for "breaking the fourth wall" in stories

A story "above" the one that is apparently being told; a further story being told by that story but without being explicit about it. May be hidden, need digging out.
Another story being told, perhaps even contradicting the "visible" one, with the same text. A story to which the "visible" one belongs, like a set. ?
Something to have fun looking for anyway!

I had always thought of "meta-narrative" as an umbrella narrative that assumes control of other narratives or a monopolistic narrative that squashes smaller, competing narratives.

The "story within a story" or the "breaking of the fourth wall" or any storytelling that was explicitly aware of its own narrative process, I had associated with "postmodernism".

Is this inaccurate?

Is "meta-narrative" or "postmodernism" even relevant when trying to figure out the world? And how does meta-narrative or postmodernism play into the Aspie world? Does it even?

I think that that was what i was trying to say with "another story maybe even contradicting the visible one, or a story to which visible one belongs like a set", but you put it better!! !
I didn't mean a story told simply within a story, but one that is carried in the telling of one, without mention of it being made, or even a consciousness of it. But i don't know how to express it very well!!

In what way is "meta-narrative" relevant to figuring out the world, esp an aspie world? Nominalist! We need your help!!
Maybe to understand the ways in which the "big stories" about how humans work for instance, about what is important in human beings, etc are present in even the most banal or trivial of tales and can act to reduce an aspies sense of self worth. ? Just one suggestion.