Narrative Text

The Definition of Narrative Text

Narrative text is a story with complication or problematic events and it tries to find the resolutions to solve the problems. An important part of narrative text is the narrative mode, the set of methods used to communicate the narrative through a process narration.

The Purpose of Narrative Text

The Purpose of Narrative Text is to amuse or to entertain the reader with a story.

Generic Structures of Narrative Text

1) Orientation

In this paragraph, we introduce the main story, character / character, place, also the time of the story that we want to write, friend.

2) Complication

In this section, we can write down the conflict in the story to its climax. In writing a conflict there are also 4 different things, namely:

a. Physical: marked by physical conflict between characters.

b. Natural: marked by conflicts between characters and matters related to natural forces.

c. Social: marked by a meeting between figures, but with different interests.

d. Psychological: characterized by a conflict within oneself between choosing good or bad things, an arrogant or humble nature, it can also be a conflict between being greedy or not.

3) Evaluation 

This section is optional, usually containing an insertion of an assessment or evaluation of the story or conflict.

4) Resolution

Friend, in this section we can show you the solution or resolution of the existing conflict. Well, the ending can be happy or sad. However, the writer can play with this part by providing another problem that makes the reader curious. Usually this curiosity is deliberately raised in the type of mystery story.

5) Re-orientation 

The last part of the narrative text is optional too, buddy. As writers, we can give readers moral messages, suggestions, or lessons learned in the closing section that come from the story.

The Characteristics / Language Feature of Narrative Text

– Past tense (killed, drunk, etc.)

– Adverb of time (Once upon a time, one day, etc.)

– Time conjunction (when, then, suddenly, etc.)

– Specific character. The character of the story is specific, not general. (Cinderella, Snow White, Alibaba, etc.)

– Action verbs. A verb that shows an action. (killed, dug, walked, etc.)

– Direct speech. It is to make the story lively. (Snow White said, "My name is Snow White"). The direct speech uses present tense.

Several types of narrative text

1. Adventure story

2. Fairy tales

Stories where the characters are animals, but show human-like behavior such as talking.

3. Fairy tales

Stories that are generally fantasy in nature or full of magic.

4. Historical narrative

5. Horror stories

6. Legend

The stories are told on facts, but the characters don't really exist.

7. Myth

The story tries to explain about the world and how we should react to it.

8. Mystery

9. Science fiction

10. A slice of life

Example narrative text

Once upon a time in west java, lived a writer king who had a beautiful daughter.  Her name was Dayang Sumbi.  She liked weaving very much.  Once she was weaving a cloth when one of her tools fell to the ground.  She was very tired, at the same time she was too lazy to take it.  Then she just shouted out loudly.

Anybody there! Bring me my tool.  I will give you special present.  If you are female.  I will consider you as my sister if you are male, I will marry you suddenly a male dog, its name was Tumang came.  He brought her the falling tool.  Dayang Sumbi was very surprised.  She regretted her words but she could not deny it.  So she had marry Tumang and leave her father.  Then they lived in a small village.  Several months later they had a son.  His name was Sangkuriang.  He was a handsome and healthy boy.

Sangkuriang liked hunting very much, especially deer.  He often hunted to the wood using his arrow.  When he went hunting , Tumang was always with him.

One day Dayang Sumbi wanted to have deer’s  heart so she asked Sangkuriang to hunt for a deer.  Then Sangkuriang when to the wood with his arrow and his faithful dog.  Tumang, but afher several days in the wood Sangkuriang could not find any deer.  Then where all disappeared.  Sangkuriang was exhausted and desperate.  He did not want to disappoint her mother so he killed Tumang.  He did not know that Tumang was his father.  Tumang’s  heart to her mother.  But Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumang’s heart.  She was so angry that she could not control her emotion.  She hit Sangkuriang at his head Sangkuriang was wounded.  There was a scar in his head.  She also repelled her son.  Sangkuriang left her mother in sadness.

Many years passed and Sangkuriang became a strong young man.  He wandered everywhere.  One day he arrived.  at his own village but he did not realize it.  There he met Dayang Sumbi.  At the time Dayang Sumbi was given an eternal beauty by God so she stayed young forever.  Both of them did know each other.  So they fall in love and then they decided to marry.  But then Dayang Sumbi recognized a scar on Sangkuriang’s head.  She knew that Sangkuriang was his son.  It was impossible for them to marry.  She told him but he did not believe her.  He wished that they marry soon.  So Dayang Sumbi gave very difficult condition.  She asked Sangkuriang  to build a lake and a boat in one night! She said she needed that for honeymoon.

Sangkuriang agreed.  With the help of genie and spiritism, Sangkuriang tired to build them.  By midnight he had completed the lake by building a dam in Citarum river.  Then he started making the boat.  It was almost dawn when he almost finished it.  Meanwhile Dayang Sumbi kept watching on him.  She was very worried when she knew this.  So she made lights in the east.  Then the spiritis thought that was already dawn.  It was time for them to leave.  They left Sangkuriang alone.  Without their help he could not finish the boat.

Sangkuriang was angry.  He kicked the boat.  Then the boat turned upside down.  It later, became Month Tangkuban Perahu.  Which means an upside-down boat.  From a distant the mount really looks like an upside down boat.

THE LAST LEAF

Many artists lived in Greenwich Village in New York City. Sue and Johnsy, two artists, also lived there in a studio apartment. Their rooms were at the top of old building in Greenwich Village.

In November, it was very cold and with it a cold unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Phenumonia, stalked the city, tocuhing one here and there with his icy fingers. The icy finger of Phenumonia also touched Johnsy. She was very ill, lying in her bed and not moving at all. A doctor visited her every day but Johnsy was not getting better. One morning, the doctor spoke to Sue outside johnsy’s room.

“I can’t help her,” the doctor said. “She is very sad and has no desire to live. Someone must make her happy again. What is she interested in?” “Painting!” said the doctor. “That won’t help her!”

Sue was distressed by this news and didn’t know what to do to help Johnsy. She went into in the workroom and cried and then she swaggered into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime. Johnsy lay silently in her bed with her face towards the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking Johnsy was asleep.

Sue arrange her board and began drawing to illustrate a magazine story. As Sue was sketching a figure of a hero, an Idaho cowboy, she heard a low sound, several times repeated. She went quickly to the bedside.

Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting-counting backwards.

“Twelve,” she said, and little later “eleven”; and then “ten,’ and “nine”; and then “eight” and “seven”, almost together.

Sue looked out of the window wondering what was there to count. There was only a bare, dreary yard to be seen, and the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old, old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots, climbed half way up the brick wall. The cold breath of autumn has stricken its leaves from the vine until its skeleton branchesclung, almost barem to the crumbling bricks.

“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.

“Six,” said johnsy, in almost a whisper. ” They’re falling faster now. three days ago there were almost a hundred. My head ached when I was counting them but now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now.

“Five what, dear/ tell me.”

“Leaves on the ivy vine. When the last one dalls I must go, too, I’ve known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”

“Oh, i never heard of such nonsense,” complained Sue, with magnificent scorn. “What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? Try to sleep,” said Sue. “I must call Behrman up to be my model for the old hermit miner. I’ll not be gone a minute. Don’t cry to move till come back.”

Old Behrman was a painter who lived on the ground floor of the same building. He was sizty years old and had always dreamed of painting a masterpiece, but unfortunately till now he was not able to fulfill his dream. Sue found Behrman in his dimly lighted apartment sitting in his chair. She told him of Johnsy’s condition. Old Behrman, with his red eyes plainly streaming, shouted his contempt and derision for such idiotic imaginings.

Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the shade down to the windowsill, and motioned Behrman into the other room. in ther they peered out the window fearfully at the ivy vine. Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking. A persistent, cold rain was falling, mingled with snow. When Sue awoke from an hour’s sleep the next morning, she found Johnsy with dull, wide-open eyes staring at the drawn greens shade.

“Pull it up; I want to see,” she ordered, in whisper. Wearily Sue obeyed. “It is the last one,” said Johnsy. It will fall today, and I shall die at the same time.” “Dear, dear!” said Sue, leaning her worn face down to the pillow, “think of me, id you won’t think of yourself. What would I do? But Johnsy did not answer.

The leaf stayed on the vine all day. That night, there was more wind and rain. When it was light enough, Johnsy commanded that shade be raised. The ivy leaf was still there.

I’ve been a foolish girl, Sue,” said Johnsy. :I wanted to die but the last leaf stayed on the vine to teach me a lesson. Please bring me some soup now.” “you know Sue, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.”

The doctor visited the girls in the afternoon. “Take good care of your friend,” he said. “She is going to get well. Now I have to go downstairs. I have to visit Mr. Behrman. He has pneumonia too. I must send him to the hospital.

The next day, the doctor said to Sue: “She’s out of danger. You won. Nutrition and care now that’s all.” And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, contentedly knitiing a woolen shoulder scarf. “I have something to tell you, dear,” she said. “Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital. He was ill only two days. The janitor found him the morning of the first dat in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold. They couldn’t imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night. And then they found a lantern, still lighted, and a ladder that had been dragged from its place, and some scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colors mixed on it, and look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the wall. Didn’t you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? ah, darling, it’s Behrman’s masterpiece – he painted it there the night that the last leaf fall. (Adapted from The Last Leaf by O. Henry, 1907).

Write a short narrative story about your experience. What is the greatest sacrifice you have ever made for your family or friends? Describe it and publish it in your blog!

Answer :

I have no idea. I have never been in the situation to need to sacrifice. But I guess if I had to, I can forsake my career, my dreams for them. I can do whatever was asked of me. Everything else might be fine by me.

My family is my greatest support and I am very lucky to have them. Till now I haven’t got any situation to do sacrifice. And if I ever fall into a situation where I need to sacrifice for them I’ll definitely do no matter what it is. I can do any sacrifice if that brings smile in their face and happiness in their life. Because my parents has done so many sacrifice for me, so I won’t step back when I get a chance to do so.