Definition of
Narrative Text
Narrative text is a text which contains about fantasy,
fairy tales, or a true story that has been exaggerated. There is usually a
moral to be learned at the end of the story. Example of narrative text can
be folk tales, animal stories, legends, myths, short stories, comic, cartoon,
and others.
Purpose
The
basic purpose of narrative is to entertain, to gain and hold a readers'
interest. However narratives can also be written to teach or inform, to change
attitudes / social opinions e.g. soap operas and television dramas that are
used to raise topical issues.
The
generic structure of Narrative text
Orientation :
It set the scene and introduce the
participants (it answers the question: who, when, what, and where).
Complication :
Tells the problems of the story and how the
main characters solve them.
Resolution :
The crisis is resolved, for better or worse.
Re-orientation :
The ending of the story.
Evaluation :
The stepping back to evaluate the story or
the moral message of the story
Linguistic
features
1. Use active verbs.
2. Use past tense.
3. Use conjunction.
4. The first person (I or We) or the third
person (He, She, or They).
5. Use specific nouns.
6. Use adjective and adverbs
To
help students plan for writing of narratives, model, focusing on:
a. Plot: What is going to
happen?
b. Setting: Where will the story
take place? When will the story take place?
c. Characterization: Who are the main
characters? What do they look like?
d. Structure: How will the story
begin? What will be the problem? How is the problem going to be resolved?
e. Theme: What is the theme /
message the writer is attempting to communicate?
Kind of Narrative text:
1. Legend: Sangkuriang, Malin Kundang, etc.
2. Fable: Mousedeer and crocodile.
3. Fairy tale: Cinderella, Snow white,
Pinocchio, etc.
4. Science fiction
Example of Narrative Text
CINDERELLA
By the Brothers
Grimm
Once upon a time, there lived a gentleman, who after his
beautiful and kind wife died, married the proudest and meanest woman in all the
land. She had two daughters from a previous
marriage who were just as nasty and haughty as their mother.
The gentleman also had a young daughter by another
wife named Cinderella, who was filled with goodness and was one of the sweetest
girls the kingdom had ever seen. Cinderella's stepmother was extremely jealous of her
beauty and charm and made her do the hardest and most dreadful work in the
house. Cinderella did the dishes, scrubbed the floor and made
the bed all while her step-sisters rested on fancy beds had fun playing
dress-up. Now it so happened that the King's son decided to give a ball,
inviting all the young ladies in the land to attend.
Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters were
delighted, and would talk of nothing but the ball all day long. They sent for
the greatest designers in the kingdom to ensure that they looked their best.
Cinderella offered to help them get ready for the
ball for she had excellent taste and despite how her step-sisters treated her,
she always gave them the best advice. As she helped them, the eldest sister
asked, "Cinderella, are you not going to the ball?" Cinderella
sadly lowered her head and said, "No, you're only teasing me because I
have nothing to wear and wouldn't fit in. Perhaps I could borrow
something?" "Lend our clothes to such a dirty Cinderwench? We're not
fools!" they exclaimed. The
sisters laughed cruelly and said, "You would make everyone laugh at the
sight of you, you Cinderwench!"
When the big day finally came, Cinderella accompanied her
step-mother and step-sisters to the Court, and couldn't help but burst into
tears as she watched them enter the beautiful ball. As she wept, Cinderella's
fairy godmother appeared. "Cinderella, why are you crying?" she asked.
"You wish to attend the ball, is that not so?” cried Cinderella, between
sobs.
The fairy godmother smiled and said, "Well,
run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin." Cinderella immediately went to get the finest
pumpkin she could find. When she brought it, her godmother struck the pumpkin
with her wand, instantly turning it into a fine coach, plated with gold and
silver.
Next, she had Cinderella find some mice, and when
she brought the furry little creatures back the fairy godmother tapped them
each with her wand, turning them into six fine horses and a coachman. "Well
what do you say? Do you still think you are not able to attend the ball?"
asked her godmother. "Oh yes!" cried Cinderella, "but should I
go looking like this, in these rags?" Her
godmother only touched her with her wand and instantly Cinderella's rags turned
into a dress of white and silver, sparkling with jewels. To top it off, fairy
godmother gave Cinderella a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole
world. "The spell only lasts until midnight, so promise you will leave the
ball before then," warned the Godmother.
Cinderella promised to return before midnight, thanked
her again and drove off to the ball. When Cinderella made her entrance, the dancing and
music stopped as everyone turned to gaze at her beauty. No one recognized her,
she was a complete mystery. The Prince rushed up to greet her, led her to the
most honorable seat by his side and later took her out for a dance. Cinderella
even made time to approach her step-sisters, who still did not recognize her,
and shared some of the oranges the prince had presented to her as a gift.
The Prince never left her side, and Cinderella was
enjoying herself so much that she completely forgot the time! When the
clock struck midnight, Cinderella was shocked and fled immediately, leaving one
of her glass slippers behind in her haste. The
Prince ran to follow her, but only managed to pick up the glass slipper she left
behind. Cinderella
managed to get home, but was quite out of breath and in her dirty old clothes.
She was resting in bed when her two step-sisters stumbled
into her room. "You stayed really late!" cried
Cinderella, rubbing her eyes and stretching as if she had been sleeping. "If
you had been there you would have seen the most beautiful princess,"
exclaimed the eldest sister, "she was so nice to us and had the undivided
attention of the Prince." "Her background is a mystery and the Prince
would give anything to know who she was," said the youngest.
A few days later the Prince declared that he would marry
the woman whose foot fit in the slipper. His soldiers began to try the slipper on all
the princesses and duchesses in the Court, but it was all in vain. Days later,
it was brought to the two sisters who tried with all their might to make the
slipper fit. Cinderella, who saw this, politely asked to try it. Her sisters burst out laughing at the idea, but
the Prince ordered that everyone in the kingdom should have a try. When
Cinderella's foot slid perfectly into the slipper, her sisters were astonished.
Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared and with the
flick of her wand turned Cinderella into the beautiful girl from the ball. The
step-sisters dropped to their knees and begged for forgiveness for the awful
way they treated her over the years. Cinderella lifted them up and
embraced them, saying she forgave them with all her heart. Cinderella was then
escorted to the Prince, dressed as beautiful as she was at the ball. A few days
later they were married. Cinderella, who was no less good than beautiful, gave
her two sisters rooms in the palace, and everyone lived happily ever after.