摘要：This article uses a novel form of qualitative hypothesis testing to connect narrative
analysis in sociology and interpretive aspects of the sociology of suicide. The expected
relationships between pairs of propositions explaining suicide are compared with observed
findings derived from analytical readings of three novels including narratives of suicide: Plath’s
The Bell Jar, Greene’s The Heart of the Matter, and Percy’s The Second Coming. In a number
of cases observed relationships diverged from those expected. Narratives may fruitfully be
examined in sociological analysis, as they seem capable of absorbing logical tensions without
losing coherence. The implications of the findings are discussed, along with suggestions for
future research. An appendix includes synopses of the three novels examined.
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