NARATIVE TEXT
A. DEFINITION
Narrative
text is a text to entertain, to gain and hold a reader’s interest. It’s usually
like a fable, myth, legend, folklore, etc. However narrative can be also
written to teach or inform, to change attitudes/social opinion.
B. THE FUNCTION OF NARRATIVE TEXT
-To
amuse or to entertain
-To deal with actual vicarious experience in different ways.
-To deal with actual vicarious experience in different ways.
C. THE
GENERIC STRUCTURE :
a. Orientation : Sets
the scene and introduces the participants.
b. Complication :
A crisis arises.
c. Resolution : The crisis is resolved, for better or
for worse.
D.
NOTE ON NARRATIVE GENERIC STRUCTURE
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a.
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Orientation
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The first paragraph presents information about the
participant of the story. In literary term, the participant is called as
character. Orientation commonly introduces information about WHO, WHERE and
WHEN.
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b.
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Complication
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a. COMPLICATION: Paragraph two explores the
niche of the story. That is conflict among the characters of the story. This
conflict will involve physical and psychological conflict. The conflict is
actually the heart of any narrative text. It will drive the participant to
make effort in solving the crisis.
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c.
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Resolution
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b. The last paragraph closes the story with
solving the crisis. However it can be better or worse.
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E. THE
TYPICAL ELEMENTS :
a. Setting : When and where the story occurs.
b. Characters : The most important people or characters in
the story.
c. Initiating
Event : An
action or occurrence that establishes a problem and/or goal.
d. Conflict : The focal point around which the whole story
is organized.
e. Events: One or more attempts by the main
character(s) to achieve the goal or solve the problem.
f. Resolution : The
outcome of the attempts to achieve the goal or solve the problem.
g. Theme : The main idea or moral of the story.
F. THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE TEXT :
a. Using the Simple Past Tense.
b. It’s started with adverb, such as long time ago,
once upon a time, etc.
c. Using
the conjunctions, such as then, after, that, before, etc.
G. LANGUAGE
FEATURES OF NARRATIVE TEXT
a.
Focus on specific and usually individualized
participants, such as a Lion, A tiny Mouse ;
b.
Use of material processes (and in this text,
behavioral and verbal processes);
c.
Use of relational processes and mental
processes;
d.
Use of temporal conjunctions and temporal
circumstances;
e.
Use of Past Tenses, such as a Lion slept
in the jungle, The Lion fell into the trap, The tiny Mouse heard the Lion's
roars;
f.
Direct and indirect speeches are often used
g.
Use of adverbs and adverbial phrases to
locate the particular events, such as once upon a time, long time ago,
h.
Use of time connectives and conjunctions,
such as however, although, later, then, after that;
i.
Use action verbs to indicate the actions,
such as opened, laughed;Use saying verbs and thinking verbs to indicate
what characters are feeling, thinking or saying, such as told, said,
decided, thought, felt
H. KINDS OF NARRATIVE
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Fable
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A short allegorical narrative making a moral point,
traditionally by means of animal characters who speak and act like human
beings.
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Myths
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A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around
the activities of gods and heroes, which purports to explain a natural
phenomenon or cultural practice.
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Legend
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A legend is a narrative of human actions that are
perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history.
Typically, a legend is a short, traditional and historicized narrative
performed in a conversational mode. Some define legend as folktale.
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Fairy Tale
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According to Wikipedia, fairy tale is an
English language term for a type of short narrative corresponding to the
French phrase "conte de fée". A fairy tale typically features such
folkloric characters as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or
gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments
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Science
Fiction
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Science
fiction is fiction based upon some imagined development of science, or upon
the extrapolation of a tendency in society. Science fiction is that class of
prose narrative treating of a situation that could not arise in the world we
know
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Short Stories
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A short story is a short
piece of fiction aiming at unity of characterization, theme and effect.
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Parables
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A story, usually short and simple, that
illustrates a lesson.
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Novels
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Relatively longer fictional story
with characters,
dialogues,
action, and events, and a 'plot' that ties them all
together into a coherent whole.
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Horror Story
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I. THE EXAMPLE OF NARRATIVE TEXT :
THE RING
Orientation
One day, A girl was sitting
on a chair at the gas station she worked at. She looked up and saw her
boyfriend walk in.
Complication
As he was looking at
snacks, a man walked in and pointed a gun at her. He had been admiring her ring
her boyfriend had given to her as a token of his love. When he asked her to
give it to him, she said no. Her boyfriend looked up just in time to see her
shot. He ran over to the killer and beat him over the head with a hammer that
was for sale. Then he ran and called 911. When the ambulance came, he was
sobbing uncontrollably near his girlfriend.
Resolution
The doctor came over and felt for her pulse. Then he stood up and said she was still alive. Later at the hospital, as he was sitting beside her, he asked"Why didn't you just give him the ring?" and then she softly spoke"Because when you gave it to me, you said it was part of your love for me and I knew if I gave him the ring, I would lose that love." The next day, she was pronounced dead.
