The Question of the Narrative in Historiography: Between the Annales School and Hayden White

This paper examines the contrasting approaches of the Annales School and Hayden White to some key concepts of historiography. The historical narrative is taken as central problem around which two positions, Annales' rejection of narrative as unscientific and White's assertion that narrative is an unavoidable framework shaping historical understanding, are constructed. Ultimately, the paper underscores the implications of this positions in regard to the question of distinction between history and literature, as well as in regard to the concepts of truth and referentiality.