NARATIVE TEXT

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.

  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

a.	Orientation	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.
b.	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.
c.	Resolution	The last paragraph closes the story with solving the crisis. However it can be better or worse.

  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

Fable	A short allegorical narrative making a moral point, traditionally by means of animal characters who speak and act like human beings.
Myths	A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities of gods and heroes, which purports to explain a natural phenomenon or cultural practice.
Legend	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.
Fairy Tale	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
Science Fiction	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
Short Stories	A short story is a short piece of fiction aiming at unity of characterization, theme and effect.
Parables	A story, usually short and simple, that illustrates a lesson.
Novels	Relatively longer fictional story with characters, dialogues, action, and events, and a 'plot' that ties them all together into a coherent whole.
Horror Story	Story intended to elicit a strong feeling of fear. Such tales are of ancient origin and form a substantial part of folk literature. They may feature supernatural elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires or address more realistic psychological fears.

I.           THE EXAMPLE OF NARRATIVE TEXT :

CINDERELLA

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Cinderella. She lived with her step mother and two step sisters.
The step mother and sisters were conceited and bad tempered. They treated Cinderella very badly. Her step mother made Cinderella do the hardest works in the house; such as scrubbing the floor, cleaning the pot and pan and preparing the food for the family. The two step sisters, on the other hand, did not work about the house. Their mother gave them many handsome dresses to wear.
One day, the two step sister received an invitation to the ball that the king’s son was going to give at the palace. They were excited about this and spent so much time choosing the dresses they would wear. At last, the day of the ball came, and away went the sisters to it. Cinderella could not help crying after they had left.
“Why are crying, Cinderella?” a voice asked. She looked up and saw her fairy godmother standing beside her, “because I want so much to go to the ball” said Cinderella. “Well” said the godmother,”you’ve been such a cheerful, hardworking, uncomplaining girl that I am going to see that you do go to the ball”.
Magically, the fairy godmother changed a pumpkin into a fine coach and mice into a coachman and two footmen. Her godmother tapped Cinderella’s raged dress with her wand, and it became a beautiful ball gown. Then she gave her a pair of pretty glass slippers. “Now, Cinderella”, she said; “You must leave before midnight”. Then away she drove in her beautiful coach.
Cinderella was having a wonderfully good time. She danced again and again with the king’s son. Suddenly the clock began to strike twelve, she ran toward the door as quickly as she could. In her hurry, one of her glass slipper was left behind.
A few days later, the king’ son proclaimed that he would marry the girl whose feet fitted the glass slipper. Her step sisters tried on the slipper but it was too small for them, no matter how hard they squeezed their toes into it. In the end, the king’s page let Cinderella try on the slipper. She stuck out her foot and the page slipped the slipper on. It fitted perfectly.
Finally, she was driven to the palace. The king’s son was overjoyed to see her again. They were married and live happily ever after.

Notes on Generic Structure of Narrative Text
1. Orientation: In this story, the first paragraph is clearly seen to introduce the participants of the Cinderella Story. They were Cinderella her self as the main character of the story, her step mother which treated Cinderella badly, and her steps sister which supported her mother to make Cinderella was treated very badly. Cinderella was introduced as a hero in this story. She struggled against the bad treatment from her step mother and sisters.
2. Complication: In this Cinderella story, we can see clearly that there are Major Complication and Minor Complication.
The second paragraph is the major complication of this Cinderella story. Cinderella got bad treatment from her stepmother. It is the bad crisis which drives into several minor complications which Cinderella has to overcome.
3. Resolution: In the last paragraph, it is said that finally Cinderella lived happily. It is the happy resolution of the bad treatment.