Narration is another discourse type. A narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events. The purpose of this text structure is to relate an event or experience.
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Narrative Devices
ReplyDelete-Action/dynamic verbs: Verbs that show what a subject does eg. yawns, collapses, jumps
-Foreshadowing, hinting at events to occur later.
In Romeo & Juliet the two main characters both state early on that they would rather die than not be together.
--Flashback is a technique to go back in time to the previous events that led up to the climax of the story. Not all stories start in a natural sequence in which the events occur in a chronological order.
-Plot twist/Situational Irony: is a change ("twist") in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film or novel.
-Suspense or tension is the feeling of uncertainty and interest about the outcome of certain actions -- most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work.
-Dialogue is a conversation between two or more persons
"Alex," my mother asked, "What were your activities and pursuits at your middle school today?"
"I had a full day of activities, Mother. My teachers were stimulating, and my English class was especially delightful."
-Point of View: A story can be told in many ways, for every narrator will see things from a different point of view. The narrator is the entity within a story that tells the story to the reader.
First-person narrative: In a first person narrative, the narrator is a character in the story. This character takes actions makes judgements and has opinions and biases. In this case the narrator gives and withholds information based on its own viewing of events. It is an important task for the reader to determine as much as possible about the character of the narrator in order to decide what "really" happens. This type of narrator is usually noticeable for its use of the first-person pronoun, "I". For example. "I could picture it. I have a rotten habit of picturing the bedroom scenes of my friends."
Second-person narrative: In this case, the narrator is supposedly the reader, and refers to itself with the second person pronoun, 'You.' This is the rarest of the points of view because, though theoretically possible, it does not work very well. A reader narrating to herself would never call herself, 'you,' and anything the narrator does is questionable.
Third-person narrative: There are two types of this third-person narrators.
The third-person, limited uses the third person pronouns (he, she it). The plot centers around a protagonist and covers only that with which the character is involved. But this character is not the narrator. It does nothing, casts no judgements, expresses no opinions and has no physical form in or out of the story. This narrator is privy to the thoughts, feelings, and memories of the protagonist, but of no other characters.
Third person, omniscient: The third person, omniscient narrator is very similar to the third person, limited narrator. This narrator is also disembodied, takes no actions, casts no judgments, expresses no opinions and has no physical form in or out of the story. But, being omniscient, it witnesses all events happening to all characters, and events that no characters witness. It is privy to all things past and present as well as the thoughts of all characters. The story can focus on any character at any time and on events where there is no character. The third person, omniscient narrator is the most reliable narrator; the reader should feel the narrator is truthful and forthcoming at all times. Some people compare this omniscient narrator to God.
Can you think of an acronym to help us remember these devices?
ReplyDeleteElements of a Narrative Setting: Time, place, prevailing attitude. The author may use description within a narrative by describing the setting.
ReplyDeleteCharacters: a person in a story; could also be an animal or thing that is the character. There are major and minor characters. A character can be a hero or protagonist or a villain or antagonist.
Theme: main or overall idea, central meaning of the story eg. A theme is not a subject. Drugs are a subject; that drugs can ruin your life if you don't learn to use them responsibly is a theme.
Style is how story is written. Writers have their own style, their own way of writing that is unique to them. A writer's style is made up of a number of elements including, narrative point of view, sentence structure, paragraph structure, dialogue, form, language and literary techniques/devices, tone, and symbolism.
Plot: A synopsis or outline of the story in chronological order. It comprises five elements. The plot includes the
1)exposition (background information, also called the beginning)
2)rising action (what leads to the climax)
3)climax (the most exciting or action-packed part of the story)
4)falling action (what comes after the climax and leads to the resolution), and
5)resolution (the end of the story).