In this part of the text, you will learn how to:
• identify the structure of narrative texts;
• read and understand narrative texts.
Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or past events and entertain the readers.
Every text has its own structure. A narrative text generally consists of the following structure:
a. Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place
b. Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with
c. Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse
It often uses Language Features as follow:
a. Using processes verbs
b. Using temporal conjunction
c. Using Simple Past Tense
The Explanation of Narrative Text
• identify the structure of narrative texts;
• read and understand narrative texts.
Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or past events and entertain the readers.
Every text has its own structure. A narrative text generally consists of the following structure:
a. Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place
b. Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with
c. Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse
It often uses Language Features as follow:
a. Using processes verbs
b. Using temporal conjunction
c. Using Simple Past Tense
The Explanation of Narrative Text
In simple word, narrative text has generic structure as orientation, complication and resolution. The complication is the heart of narrative text structure. It will determine whether the text "lives" or not. If the narrative text consider as the "live" text, it will arouse the reader. It will intrude to the emotion of the reader. Commonly, narrative text appears as story text. In literary term, the complication structure is called conflict. Basically, conflict is divided into three kinds. In any writing, each type will not take place with its own type. Each often combines to other type in building the story.
Physical conflict, or in other word as elemental conflict, is description of man's struggle to his physical word. It represents man versus nature force, difficulty and danger. How man survives from flood, exploding mount is clear example of physical conflict.
Social conflict is the second type. It will show the struggle of man against his society. It is description of struggle between man and man. In the story of Cinderella, for instance, who wanted to go to party but her step mother and sisters did not permit her. She eagerly had the opportunity to meet the prince but her step mother and sister tried to prohibit her opportunity and took it for themselves. It was a clear description of social conflict.
Internal or psychological conflict is a conflict which happens inside the participant. A man struggles against him self, his conscience, his guilty. He wants to steal money in the other hand he knows that stealing is not good. The fight of stealing money against having good deed is a psychological conflict
The struggle among these conflicts includes verbal and physical attempts. Narrative text will be perfectly composed by these kinds of conflict. Some time it will apply one type but it often combines these three kinds of conflict.
Composing Recount and Narrative
Something which happened in the past is the main resource to compose both recount and narrative text. In writer's point of view, the thing is an experience. It can be what the writer has done, hear, read, and felt. Composing recount and narrative is retelling the experiences of the past event to be a present event.
What does recount differ from narrative?
The easiest way to catch the difference between narrative and recount is in analyzing the generic structure. Recount text presents the past experiences in order of time or place; what happened on Sunday, then on Monday, then on Tuesday, for instance. In simple way, recount describes series of events in details. It does not expose the struggle on how to make them happen. The event happened smoothly. On the other hand, narrative introduces crises and how to solve them. Narrative text always appears as a hard potrait of participant's past experience. It reveals the conflict among the participants. Cinderella's conflicts with her step mother and sister are the example.
Physical conflict, or in other word as elemental conflict, is description of man's struggle to his physical word. It represents man versus nature force, difficulty and danger. How man survives from flood, exploding mount is clear example of physical conflict.
Social conflict is the second type. It will show the struggle of man against his society. It is description of struggle between man and man. In the story of Cinderella, for instance, who wanted to go to party but her step mother and sisters did not permit her. She eagerly had the opportunity to meet the prince but her step mother and sister tried to prohibit her opportunity and took it for themselves. It was a clear description of social conflict.
Internal or psychological conflict is a conflict which happens inside the participant. A man struggles against him self, his conscience, his guilty. He wants to steal money in the other hand he knows that stealing is not good. The fight of stealing money against having good deed is a psychological conflict
The struggle among these conflicts includes verbal and physical attempts. Narrative text will be perfectly composed by these kinds of conflict. Some time it will apply one type but it often combines these three kinds of conflict.
Composing Recount and Narrative
Something which happened in the past is the main resource to compose both recount and narrative text. In writer's point of view, the thing is an experience. It can be what the writer has done, hear, read, and felt. Composing recount and narrative is retelling the experiences of the past event to be a present event.
What does recount differ from narrative?
The easiest way to catch the difference between narrative and recount is in analyzing the generic structure. Recount text presents the past experiences in order of time or place; what happened on Sunday, then on Monday, then on Tuesday, for instance. In simple way, recount describes series of events in details. It does not expose the struggle on how to make them happen. The event happened smoothly. On the other hand, narrative introduces crises and how to solve them. Narrative text always appears as a hard potrait of participant's past experience. It reveals the conflict among the participants. Cinderella's conflicts with her step mother and sister are the example.
The conflict is the most important element in a narrative text. Narrative without conflicts is not narrative any more.
Reading a Narrative Text
Narrative is the most famous type of any text. Various purposes are communicated in a narrative type. However the way it is constructed is describing certain event, character or phenomenon in detail. Narrative prefer showing to telling and that the power of narrative. Reader will feel as he show by him self what happen in the text. Actually narrative can be fiction such as short story or novel and non-fiction like memoirs.
According to Madison smart Bell, the narrative design, or what we call form or structure, is of first and final importance to any work of fiction. In that structure, we will find elements of story; characterization, point of view, theme and plot. Plot is the way of the story constructed.
When we read a text, we can call it narrative as we see the following generic structure inside the text:
a. Orientation; It is the introduction of who/what, when and where. What text talkws in general. Who involves in the text. When and where it happens.
b. Complication; what happens with the participants. It explores the conflict among the participants. Complication is the main element of narrative. Without complication, the text is not narrative. The conflict can express a natural, social or psychological conflict.
c Resolution; this is the phase where the participants solve the problem aroused by the conflict. It doesn’t matter whether the participants succeed or fail. The point is the conflict becomes end.
Let’s read and understand the examples of narrative text below!
During the reign of King Henry VII of England in 1522, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, returned to England from France where she spent her childhood. She became the Lady-in waiting into the service of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s first wife.
She soon caught the eyes of the King. The King tried to make Anne his mistress but Anne refused it. Her sister, Mary Boleyn had been the king’s mistress and gained little from it but a scandal. She demanded that the King marry her. She waited nearly seven years for Henry to obtain an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. In 1532 Henry VIII and Catherine divorced.
It finally took an unavoidable breaking with the Pope in Rome before they wed in the mid of September in 1533. A year later Anne was pregnant, but she was unable to give the King the son he desperately needed for an heir. The King was so disappointed. Their marriage ended tragically for Anne. She was accused of witchcraft, incest and adultery. On May 19th, 1536 she was beheaded at the Tower of London. 10 days after her death, King Henry married to Lady Jane Seymour who was able to give the king a son, Prince Edward. But this didn’t last long. The young prince died young. Elisabeth, the daughter of Anne and Henry VIII became England’s greatest queen.
Generic structure analysis of the text :
1. Orientation : During the reign of King Henry VII of England in 1522, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, returned to England from France where she spent her childhood. She became the Lady-in waiting into the service of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s first wife.
2. Complication : She soon caught the eyes of the King. The King tried to make Anne his mistress but Anne refused it. Her sister, Mary Boleyn had been the king’s mistress and gained little from it but a scandal. She demanded that the King marry her.
3. Resolution : She waited nearly seven years for Henry to obtain an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. In 1532 Henry VIII and Catherine divorced. It finally took an unavoidable breaking with the Pope in Rome before they wed in the mid of September in 1533.
4. Complication: A year later Anne was pregnant, but she was unable to give the King the son he desperately needed for an heir. The King was so disappointed. Their marriage ended tragically for Anne. She was accused of witchcraft, incest and adultery. On May 19th , 1536 she was beheaded at the Tower of London.
5. Resolution : 10 days after her death, King Henry married to Lady Jane Seymour who was able to give the king a son, Prince Edward. But this didn’t last long. The young prince died young. Elisabeth, the daughter of Anne and Henry VIII became England’s greatest queen.
Long, long ago, mosquitoes didn’t buzz, they talked and talked. One day, a mosquito was talking to an iguana, telling him about his vacation. About every minute of his vacation, a mosquito would not let the iguana say one word. The iguana was so annoyed that he walked away leaving the mosquito Still talking, the iguana grumbled and waved her tail. She was still grumbling when she passed her friend, the snake, and forgot all about saying “hello”. The snake was feeling hurt. He felt so sad that he slithered down a rabbit hole. “Help!”, yelled a rabbit as she scurried out of the hole terrified of the snake. “What’s wrong”, cawed a crow. Monkey heard crow’s warning and took of through the treetops leaping branch to branch. When the monkey landed on owl’s barnch high up in a leafy tree,an owl’s nest tipped off the branch and fell to the ground breaking the owl’s egg. The owl was heartbroken so much that she didn’t hoot for the sun to come up and when it did the mosquito lost his voice. All he could do was buzzing in everyone’s ear. Zzzzzz! “Is everyone still mad at me?”
Generic structure analysis of the text :1. Orientation: Long, long ago, mosquitoes didn’t buzz. They talked and talked
2. Complications: One day, a mosquito was talking to an iguana, telling him about his vacation. About every minute of his vacation, a mosquito would not let the iguana say one word. The iguana was so annoyed that he walked away leaving the mosquito Still talking, the iguana grumbled and waved her tail. She was still grumbling when she passed her friend, the snake, and forgot all about saying “hello”. The snake was feeling hurt. He felt so sad that he slithered down a rabbit hole. “Help!”, yelled a rabbit as she scurried out of the hole terrified of the snake. “What’s wrong”, cawed a crow. Monkey heard crow’s warning and took of through the treetops leaping branch to branch. When the monkey landed on owl’s barnch high up in a leafy tree,an owl’s nest tipped off the branch and fell to the ground breaking the owl’s egg.
3. Resolutions: The owl was heartbroken so much that she didn’t hoot for the sun to come up and when it did the mosquito lost his voice. All he could do was buzzing in everyone’s ear. Zzzzzz! “Is everyone still mad at me?”
Reading a Narrative Text
Narrative is the most famous type of any text. Various purposes are communicated in a narrative type. However the way it is constructed is describing certain event, character or phenomenon in detail. Narrative prefer showing to telling and that the power of narrative. Reader will feel as he show by him self what happen in the text. Actually narrative can be fiction such as short story or novel and non-fiction like memoirs.
According to Madison smart Bell, the narrative design, or what we call form or structure, is of first and final importance to any work of fiction. In that structure, we will find elements of story; characterization, point of view, theme and plot. Plot is the way of the story constructed.
When we read a text, we can call it narrative as we see the following generic structure inside the text:
a. Orientation; It is the introduction of who/what, when and where. What text talkws in general. Who involves in the text. When and where it happens.
b. Complication; what happens with the participants. It explores the conflict among the participants. Complication is the main element of narrative. Without complication, the text is not narrative. The conflict can express a natural, social or psychological conflict.
c Resolution; this is the phase where the participants solve the problem aroused by the conflict. It doesn’t matter whether the participants succeed or fail. The point is the conflict becomes end.
Let’s read and understand the examples of narrative text below!
Anne Boleyn
During the reign of King Henry VII of England in 1522, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, returned to England from France where she spent her childhood. She became the Lady-in waiting into the service of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s first wife.
She soon caught the eyes of the King. The King tried to make Anne his mistress but Anne refused it. Her sister, Mary Boleyn had been the king’s mistress and gained little from it but a scandal. She demanded that the King marry her. She waited nearly seven years for Henry to obtain an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. In 1532 Henry VIII and Catherine divorced.
It finally took an unavoidable breaking with the Pope in Rome before they wed in the mid of September in 1533. A year later Anne was pregnant, but she was unable to give the King the son he desperately needed for an heir. The King was so disappointed. Their marriage ended tragically for Anne. She was accused of witchcraft, incest and adultery. On May 19th, 1536 she was beheaded at the Tower of London. 10 days after her death, King Henry married to Lady Jane Seymour who was able to give the king a son, Prince Edward. But this didn’t last long. The young prince died young. Elisabeth, the daughter of Anne and Henry VIII became England’s greatest queen.
Generic structure analysis of the text :
1. Orientation : During the reign of King Henry VII of England in 1522, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, returned to England from France where she spent her childhood. She became the Lady-in waiting into the service of Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII’s first wife.
2. Complication : She soon caught the eyes of the King. The King tried to make Anne his mistress but Anne refused it. Her sister, Mary Boleyn had been the king’s mistress and gained little from it but a scandal. She demanded that the King marry her.
3. Resolution : She waited nearly seven years for Henry to obtain an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. In 1532 Henry VIII and Catherine divorced. It finally took an unavoidable breaking with the Pope in Rome before they wed in the mid of September in 1533.
4. Complication: A year later Anne was pregnant, but she was unable to give the King the son he desperately needed for an heir. The King was so disappointed. Their marriage ended tragically for Anne. She was accused of witchcraft, incest and adultery. On May 19th , 1536 she was beheaded at the Tower of London.
5. Resolution : 10 days after her death, King Henry married to Lady Jane Seymour who was able to give the king a son, Prince Edward. But this didn’t last long. The young prince died young. Elisabeth, the daughter of Anne and Henry VIII became England’s greatest queen.
Why Do Mosquioes Buzz?
Long, long ago, mosquitoes didn’t buzz, they talked and talked. One day, a mosquito was talking to an iguana, telling him about his vacation. About every minute of his vacation, a mosquito would not let the iguana say one word. The iguana was so annoyed that he walked away leaving the mosquito Still talking, the iguana grumbled and waved her tail. She was still grumbling when she passed her friend, the snake, and forgot all about saying “hello”. The snake was feeling hurt. He felt so sad that he slithered down a rabbit hole. “Help!”, yelled a rabbit as she scurried out of the hole terrified of the snake. “What’s wrong”, cawed a crow. Monkey heard crow’s warning and took of through the treetops leaping branch to branch. When the monkey landed on owl’s barnch high up in a leafy tree,an owl’s nest tipped off the branch and fell to the ground breaking the owl’s egg. The owl was heartbroken so much that she didn’t hoot for the sun to come up and when it did the mosquito lost his voice. All he could do was buzzing in everyone’s ear. Zzzzzz! “Is everyone still mad at me?”
Generic structure analysis of the text :1. Orientation: Long, long ago, mosquitoes didn’t buzz. They talked and talked
2. Complications: One day, a mosquito was talking to an iguana, telling him about his vacation. About every minute of his vacation, a mosquito would not let the iguana say one word. The iguana was so annoyed that he walked away leaving the mosquito Still talking, the iguana grumbled and waved her tail. She was still grumbling when she passed her friend, the snake, and forgot all about saying “hello”. The snake was feeling hurt. He felt so sad that he slithered down a rabbit hole. “Help!”, yelled a rabbit as she scurried out of the hole terrified of the snake. “What’s wrong”, cawed a crow. Monkey heard crow’s warning and took of through the treetops leaping branch to branch. When the monkey landed on owl’s barnch high up in a leafy tree,an owl’s nest tipped off the branch and fell to the ground breaking the owl’s egg.
3. Resolutions: The owl was heartbroken so much that she didn’t hoot for the sun to come up and when it did the mosquito lost his voice. All he could do was buzzing in everyone’s ear. Zzzzzz! “Is everyone still mad at me?”
