A. Narrative materials
According to Webster’s Dictionary (1966 : 1503), a narrative is defined as a “discourse, or an example of it, designed to represent a connected succession of happenings”. Perhaps the most concise definition is that proposed by Smith (1981) Narratives are “verbal acts consisting of someone telling someone else that something happened” Polkinghorne (1988), while acknowledging that the term narrative generally can refer to any spoken or written presentation, confines his usage to the kind of organizational scheme that is expressed in story form. He uses the term to describe the process of creating a story, the internal logic of the story (its plot and theme), and also the product of the story, tale, or poem as a unit. Sarbin (1986 : 9) also stresses the organizational aspect of narrative. The narrative is a way of organizing episodes, actions, and accounts of actions; it is an achievement that brings together mundane facts and fantastic creations; time and place are incorporated. The narrative allows for the inclusion of actors’ reasons for their acts, as well as the causes of happening.
However narratives can also be written to teach or inform, to change attitudes or social opinions eg soap operas and television dramas that are used to raise topical issues. The ability to tell a story, whether spoken or written, is a common and often complex form of communication (New, Anita. 2009 : 2), Narratives sequence people or characters in time and place but differ from recounts in that through the sequencing, the stories set up one or more problems, which must eventually find a way to be resolved.
The primary purpose of narrative writing is to describe an experience, event, or sequence of events in the form of a story. Narrative writing tells a story. You have probably been telling stories as long as you have been communicating with other people. Without even thinking about it, you set the story up for your listener, describing the time, place, and your own involvement.
1. Characteristics of Narrative
Ely, susan (2010 : 2) divide a characteristics of narrative in four character as follow :
a. Use storyline in chronological order (time order)
b. The point is what the writer or character learned from what happened
c. Heavy on description, setting, plot and character
d. Easy to visualize
Mil2an. (2009) stated that the of narrative reading as follow :
a. generic structure of a narrative reading
1) Orientation, introduction of the story in which the characters, setting and time of the story are established. Usually answers who? when? where? and it is stated in the beginning of the story. as the example "Once upon a time, Mr Wolf went out hunting in the forest one dark gloomy night".
2) Complication or problem, the complication usually involves the main character(s) (often mirroring the complications in real life).
3) Resolution, there needs to be a resolution of the complication. The complication may be resolved for better or worse/happily or unhappily. Sometimes there are a number of complications that have to be resolved. These add and sustain interest and suspense for the reader.
b. The language features of the narrative text
usually use simple past tense, use Connectives, linking words to do with time such as once upon a time, on the next day,etc and there are imagery such as metaphor for example "She has a heart of stone"
2. grammatical featuring of narrative materials
Harriet (8) specify the Key grammatical featuring of narrative materials are :
a. Use of particular nouns to refer to the central characters, objects and places.
b. Use of detailed noun groups to describe features or characteristic, incorporating a range of adjectivals to build descriptions.
c. Use of action verbs (usually of past tense) to indicate activities and behaviours; character often use saying and thinking verbs(ie. Direct or indirect speech/thought)
d. Use of adverbials and dependent clauses to express important details such as time, place, extend, menner etc.
e. Lexical cohesion achieved largely by synonyms, anthonyms, collocation
f. Use of affect, judgement and appreciation vocabulary to evaluate phenomena
g. Use of figurative language such as simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, atypical word combinations, ‘invented’words, etc.
h. Use of grading vocabulary to intensify descriptions
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.
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