What is meant by narrative time? How much time goes on in the story do you think?

Narrative time refers to the cultural and historical factors of a story. Narrative time is closely linked with the setting. It can also refer to how the length of time the narrative takes place in. I do not recall Steinbeck ever telling us how long it is that Kino has the pearl before he throws it back into the ocean. The reader can only speculate by the order of events.