1. Definition of Narrative
Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or past events and entertain the readers.
2. Generic Structure of Narrative
A narrative text consists of the following structure:
Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place
Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with
Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse
3. Language Features of Narrative
Using processes verbs
Using temporal conjunction
Using Simple Past Tense
4. Examples and structures of the text
Snow White
Orientation: Once upon a time there lived a little girl named Snow White. She lived with her Aunt and Uncle because her parents were dead.
Complication 1: One day she heard her Uncle and Aunt talking about leaving Snow White in the castle because they both wantedto go to America and they didn’t have enough money to take Snow White.
Resolution 1: Snow White did not want her Uncle and Aunt to do this so she decided it would be best if she ran away. The next morning she ran away from home when her Aunt and Uncle were having breakfast. She ran away into the woods.
Complication 2: Then she saw this little cottage. She knocked but no one answered so she went inside and fell asleep.
Resolution 2: Meanwhile, the seven dwarfs were coming home from work. They went inside. There they found Snow Whitesleeping. Then Snow White woke up. She saw the dwarfs. The dwarfs said, “what is your name?” Snow White said, “My name is Snow White.”
Doc, one of the dwarfs, said, “If you wish, you may live here with us.” Snow White said, “Oh could I? Thank you.” Then Snow White told the dwarfs the whole story and Snow White and the 7 dwarfs lived happily ever after.
5. Example of Narrative
A. The Smartest Parrot
Once upon time, a man had a wonderful parrot. There was no other parrot like it. The parrot could say every word, except one word. The parrot would not say the name of the place where it was born. The name of the place was Catano.
The man felt excited having the smartest parrot but he could not understand why the parrot would not say Catano. The man tried to teach the bird to say Catano however the bird kept not saying the word.
At the first, the man was very nice to the bird but then he got very angry. “You stupid bird!” pointed the man to the parrot. “Why can’t you say the word? Say Catano! Or I will kill you” the man said angrily. Although he tried hard to teach, the parrot would not say it. Then the man got so angry and shouted to the bird over and over; “Say Catano or I’ll kill you”. The bird kept not to say the word of Catano.
One day after he had been trying so many times to make the bird say Catano, the man really got very angry. He could not bear it. He picked the parrot and threw it into the chicken house. There were four old chickens for next dinner “You are as stupid as the chickens. Just stay with them” Said the man angrily. Then he continued to humble; “You know, I will cut the chicken for my meal. Next it will be your turn, I will eat you too, stupid parrot”. After that he left the chicken house.
The next day, the man came back to the chicken house. He opened the door and was very surprised. He could not believe what he saw at the chicken house. There were three death chickens on the floor. At the moment, the parrot was standing proudly and screaming at the last old chicken; “Say Catano or I’ll kill you”.
Analysis the Generic Structure
Orientation: It sets the scene and introduces the participants/characters. In that parrot story, the first paragraph is the orientation where reader finds time and place set up and also the participant as the background of the story. A man and his parrot took place once time.
Complication: It explores the conflict in the story. It will show the crisis, rising crisis and climax of the story. In the parrot story, paragraph 2, 3, 4 are describing the complication. Readers will find that the man face a problem of why the parrot can not say Catano. To fix this problem, the man attempted to teach the bird. How hard he tried to teach the bird is the excitement element of the complication.
Resolution: It shows the situation which the problems have been resolved. It must be our note that “resolved” means accomplished whether succeed or fail. In the last paragraph of the smartest parrot story, readers see the problem is finished. The parrot could talk the word which the man wanted. The parrot said the word with higher degree than the man taught the word to it. That was the smartest parrot.
B. Cinderella 1
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
Orientation: 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.
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.
Resolution: Like complication, there are Major Resolution and Minor Resolution.
In the last paragraph, it is said that finally Cinderella lived happily. It is the happy resolution of the bad treatment.
6. Example of spoof funny story with generic structure
This is a very funny story as an example of spoof text. The story is completed with generic structure to learn how its plot is arranged. Spoof text is funny, isn’t it? A funny story can be a spoof or not. Reading a spoof text can be very interesting as it has an unpredictable plot of the story.
There will be a tricky “arrangement”. As we build understanding of the plot to certain condition, a spoof text will be ended with a special contradictory ending. Bellow is another example of spoof text.
What Time is It?
A tramp lie down and sleep in the park. He had been sleeping for about 5 minutes when a couple walked by. The man stopped, woke the tramp up , and asked him, “Excuse me.
Do you know what the time is?” The tramp replied, “I’m sorry – I don’t have a watch, so I don’t know the time.”
The man apologized for waking the tramp and the couple walked away.
The tramp lay down again, and after a few minutes went back to sleep. Just then, a woman, who was out walking her dog, shook the tramp’s shoulder until he woke up again.
The woman said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m afraid I’ve lost my watch – do you happen to know the time?” The tramp was a little annoyed at being woken up again, but he politely told the woman that he didn’t have a watch and didn’t know the time.
After the woman had gone, the tramp had an idea. He opened the bag that contained all his possessions and got out a pen, a piece of paper and some string. On the paper, he wrote down, ‘I do not have a watch. I do not know the time’.
He then hung the paper round his neck and eventually dropped off again.
After about 15 minutes, a policeman who was walking through the park noticed the tramp asleep on the bench, and the sign around his neck. He woke the tramp up and said, “I read your sign. I thought you’d like to know that it’s 2:30 p.m.”
Generic Structure of Spoof Text
Have you noticed and guessed why that story can be labelled as spoof text. To answer this question, we need to go through the structure of the story. Here is what we get:
1. Orientation: Basic information of the text about participants
A tramp lie down and sleep in the park.
2. Series of events: Some happenings which exist in the story. They are determine the story plot.
The man stopped, woke the tramp up
Just then, a woman, who was out walking her dog, shook the tramp’s shoulder until he woke up again.
he wrote down, ‘I do not have a watch. I do not know the time’.
3. Twist: What happens in the story in the end.
Police’s statement “I read your sign. I thought you’d like to know that it’s 2:30 p.m.”
Well, that is spoof text sample. The story is funny and entertaining. Reading such English story give two benefits. First is we are entertained with the story and feel happy. Second, Increasing English skill is unrealized but added. Happy learning English Online
Learning Part
Tramp = Homeless person
Apologize = To make excuse for a fault or offense
Politely = Adv for Politely. Refine / Showing consideration for others
Contain = To have as component part
Possession = Noun for possess. To own something
