We will look at the concept of the plot character and narrator to in line with Mark’s narration and the use of semantics in his texts. In this book, Mark, the narrator, is not presented as a character but works from a third-person perspective. This critical in three ways: The narrator gains a sense of authority, allows the narrator to gain trust from the reader, and the reader is allowed to enter into the story himself/herself. Notably, if the narrator is omniscient and not taking part in the story, the reader assumes that they are impartial. One thinks about (Mark 7:1-21) and how the story would be if a sympathetic light focused on the Pharisees. Probably the story itself could follow the same events and have a very different ending. This notion would present the Pharisees as heroes, and could Jesus as a false prophet. In this context, the narrator (Mark) can persuade the reader that the authorities are ill-informed.
The setting in Mark’s narration is a cosmic setting. God is, above all the creation. The earth resides below. At the centre of this cosmology is Israel surrounded by the Gentiles. In the end, Jesus re-establishes the Rule of God on Earth. Subsequently, the people are healed from sickness and demons are cast. On the other hand, audience-oriented criticism tends to point out possible semantic impediments (noise) in the book of Mark.
For example, what is the connotative meaning of the word ‘gospel’ in the larger Mediterranean as it was dominated by the Roman Empire.
It is mostly agreed that that the ancient critics of Markan gospel-based their based their criticism on form rather than narrative criticism. That notwithstanding Mark’s narrative has all the components of a story and narrates to the intended audience. The gospel is based on Jesus’ life and told within a particular social, cultural and political context.
Despite its strangeness in the estimation of Mary Ann Tolbert and other Markan scholars, Markan narrative would still have made sense for an early audience that would have heard the Gospel of Mark in the late 60s or early 70s CE because of: 1. The vivid and detailed narratives by Mark (Mark 5:1-20) vividly describes the failed attempt to bind demons with chain. Mark 9:14-29 vividly describes the episode of epileptic with the convulsions and foaming in the mouth of the young boy. 2. The sandwich technique used by Mark in his narration. In this technique, Mark begins with one story, introduces the second story and returns to finish with the first story that he started with. This technique is used nine times in Marks narration. An example of this technique is in Mark chapter 5. Mark introduces the ruler of the synagogue named Jairus, who pleads for Jesus to intervene and heal his daughter (5:21-24). On the way to Jairus’ home a women suffering from hemorrhage interrupts Jesus so that he may heal her (5:25-34). Mark records the healing of the woman and then resumes his narration of the story of Jairus’ daughter. This technique makes Marks narration less monotonous. With such narrative styles and techniques, Markan narrative has remained irresistible to many.