Definition Narrative
Narrative text
is a text which contains about story (fiction/non fiction/tales/folktales/fables/myths/epic)
and its plot consists of climax of the story (complication) then followed by
the resolution.
The narrative text
short story is telling of a story or an account of a sequence of
events. One of the four traditional forms of composition (along with
description, exposition, and persuasion). Narration differs from exposition,
which can also relate a sequence of events, in that narration need not be
factual and may be written from the perspective of a character in the text.
Types
of narrative
There
are many types of narrative. They can be imaginary, factual or a combination of
both. They may include fairy stories, mysteries, science fiction, romances,
horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends, historical
narratives, ballads, slice of life, personal experience.
Social Function
A
narrative text is a text amuse, entertain and deal with actual or vicarious
experience in different ways. Narrative deal with problematic events which lead
to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution.
Generic Structure
1.
Orientation:
it
means to introduce the participants or the characters of the story with the
time and place set. Orientation actually exists in every text type though it has
different term. 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:
it
is such the crisis of the story. If there is not the crisis, the story is not a
narrative text. In a long story, the complication appears in several
situations. It means that some time there is more then one 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:
it
is the final series of the events which happen in the story. The resolution can
be good or bad. The point is that it has been accomplished by the characters.
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.
To
help students plan for writing of narratives, model, focusing on:
- Plot:
What is going to happen?
- Setting:
Where will the story take place? When will the story take place?
- Characterisation:
Who are the main characters? What do they look like?
- Structure:
How will the story begin? What will be the problem? How is the problem
going to be resolved?
- Theme:
What is the theme / message the writer is attempting to communicate?
Languange Feature
Description
of characters and places using:
-
Adjectives to describe nouns – heavy, frosty, transparent, grumpy
-
Adverbs – to describe verbs – quickly, secretly, quietly, energetically,
suddenly
-
Similes – to compare one thing with another, using like or as … as – as bright
as the moon, the kiss felt like a butterfly’s wings against her cheek
Time
words – Once upon a time, long ago, then, last week
Verbs
indicating actions in the story – hid, ate, ran, whispered, looked
- Action
verbs: Action verbs provide interest to the writing. For example, instead
of The old woman was in his way try The old woman barred his
path. Instead of She laughed try She cackled.
- Written
in the first person (I, we) or the third person (he, she, they).
- Usually
past tense.
- Connectives,linking
words to do with time.
- Specific
nouns: Strong nouns have more specific meanings, eg. oak as opposed
to tree.
- Active
nouns: Make nouns actually do something, eg. It was raining could
become Rain splashed down or There was a large cabinet in the
lounge could become A large cabinet seemed to fill the lounge.
- Careful
use of adjectives and adverbs: Writing needs judicious use of adjectives
and adverbs to bring it alive, qualify the action and provide description
and information for the reader.
- Use
of the senses: Where appropriate, the senses can be used to describe and
develop the experiences, setting and character:
- What
does it smell like?
- What
can be heard?
- What
can be seen - details?
- What
does it taste like?
- What
does it feel like?
- Imagery
- Simile:
A direct comparison, using like or as or as though, eg. The sea looked
as rumpled as a blue quilted dressing gown. Or The wind wrapped me up
like a cloak.
- Metaphor:
An indirect or hidden comparison, eg. She has a heart of stone or He
is a stubborn mule or The man barked out the instructions.
- Onomatopoeia:
A suggestion of sound through words, eg. crackle, splat, ooze, squish,
boom, eg. The tyres whir on the road. The pitter-patter of soft
rain. The mud oozed and squished through my toes.
- Personification:
Giving nonliving things (inanimate) living characteristics, eg. The
steel beam clenched its muscles. Clouds limped across the sky. The
pebbles on the path were grey with grief.
- Rhetorical
Questions: Often the author asks the audience questions, knowing of course
there will be no direct answer. This is a way of involving the reader in
the story at the outset, eg. Have you ever built a tree hut?
- Variety
in sentence beginnings. There are a several ways to do this eg by using:
- Participles:
"Jumping with joy I ran home to tell mum my good news."
- Adverbs:
"Silently the cat crept toward the bird"
- Adjectives:
"Brilliant sunlight shone through the window"
- Nouns:
"Thunder claps filled the air"
- Adverbial
Phrases: "Along the street walked the girl as if she had not a care
in the world."
- Conversations/Dialogue:
these may be used as an opener. This may be done through a series of short
or one-word sentences or as one long complex sentence.
Example of Narrative Text :
Fiction
novels like adventure and fantasy, spoken and written stories.
"The Story of
Lake Toba"
Once upon a time, there was a man who was living in north Sumatra. He lived in
a simple hut in a farming field. The did some gardening and fishing for his
daily life.
One
day, while the man was do fishing, he caught a big golden fish in his trap. It
was the biggest catch which he ever had in his life. Surprisingly, this fish
turned into a beautiful princess. He felt in love with her and proposed her to
be his wife. She said; "Yes, but you have to promise not to tell anyone
about the secret that I was once a fish, otherwise there will be a huge
disaster". The man made the deal and they got married, lived happily and
had a daughter.
Few
years later, this daughter would help bringing lunch to her father out in the
fields. One day, his daughter was so hungry and she ate his father’s lunch.
Unfortunately, he found out and got furious, and shouted; “You damned daughter
of a fish”. The daughter ran home and asked her mother. The mother started
crying, felt sad that her husband had broke his promise.
Then
she told her daughter to run up the hills because a huge disaster was about to
come. When her daughter left, she prayed. Soon there was a big earthquake
followed by non-stop pouring rain. The whole area got flooded and became Toba
Lake. She turned into a fish again and the man became the island of Samosir.
)
Nah dilihat dari ceritanya, ternyata Jajang itu pernah menikah dengan
seorang yang bernama Yuni. Namun ternyata istrinya matre dan dia pun
bercerai hanya dalam waktu 7 bulan. Kasian Jajang.. 
((
Karen King
papirus tua memuat teks yang memicu para sejarawan bertanya-tanya tentang pernikahan Yesus. 
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Ilustrasi: Pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir 
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