NARRATIVE TEXT

NARRATIVE TEXT

  Narrative text is a kind of text to retell the story that past tense. The purpose of the text is to entertain or to amuse the readers or listeners about the story. 

Narrative text has three elements or parts :

   1. The orientation:

introduces main characters in a setting of place and time. It tells about : the story’s setting , the time when the story happens, and the main characters of the story.

   2. The complications:

tells the problems of the story and how the main characters solve them. Series of events ( It includes situations, activities, or events that lead to the climax or complication. )

   3. The Resolution:

 tells the ending of the story (The complication or problem is solved here. It shows the end of the story, usually a happy ending ).

   A narrative text uses the simple past tense. 

Common forms of narrative text which are studied in high school are :

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history. Typically, a legend is a short, traditional and historical narrative performed in a conversational mode. Some define legend as folktale. The example of legend in narrative text are

·         Sangkuriang

·         Malin Kundang

·         The Legend Of Tangkuban Perahu

·         The Story Of Toba Lake

Fable 

A fable is a short allegorical narrative making a moral point, traditionally by means of animal characters who speak and act like human beings. The example of fable in narrative text are:

·         Mousedeer and crocodile.

·         The Ants and the Grasshopper

Fairy tale

According to Wikipedia, fairy tale is an English language term for a type of short narrative corresponding to the French phrase "conte de fée". A fairy tale typically features such folkloric characters as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarfs, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. The example of fairy tale in narrative text are:

·         Cinderella

·         Snow White

·         Pinocchio

·         Beauty and the beast

·         The story of Rapunzel

Science fiction

According to Basil Davenport. 1955, Science fiction is fiction based upon some imagined development of science, or upon the extrapolation of a tendency in society. Science fiction is that class of prose narrative treating of a situation that could not arise in the world we know. Some examples of science fiction are:

·         To the Moon from the Earth by Jules Verne

·         Star ship Trooper by Robert Heinlein

·         A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Another Kind of Narrative Text

·         Historical

·         Adventure

·         Horror

·         Contemporary (e.g. personal experience)

·         Mystery

·         Romantic

There are some grammatical features of narratives, those are:

1)     Use of adjectives to build noun groups to describe the people, animals, or things in the story, such as …. a nice, diligent and kind-hearted man;

2)     Use of time connectives and conjunctions to sequence events through time, such as however, although, later, then;

3)     Use of adverbs and adverbial phrases to locate the particular events, such as once upon a time, long time ago;

4)     Use of past tenses, such as Aji Saka went to the kingdom, measured the size of the turban ….;

5)     Use of action verbs to indicate the actions, such as fled, explained, provided, smashed; and

6)     Use of saying and thinking verbs to indicate what characters are feeling, thinking, or saying, such as told, realized, decided.

Example story (Legend) :

Malin Kundang

 

A long time ago on a small beach in Indonesia, lived a woman and her son, who was called Malin Kundang. They did not have very much money, but Malin Kundang was a healthy strong boy who was a good boatsman and swimmer. He went to the sea to catch fish, which he and his mother ate or sold in the town.

One day, Malin Kundang saw a trader’s ship in trouble. It was being raided by a small band of pirates. Malin Kundang went to help the ship and fought off the pirates. The trader was very grateful to Malin Kundang, and very impressed by his strength and bravery. He asked Malin Kundang to work with him and Malin Kundang agreed.

Malin Kundang made lots of money. He bought a huge ship of his own and married a beautiful wife.

Many years later, Malin Kundang’s ship landed on the small beach where he grew up. People on the beach recognised him, and the news travelled around the village. His mother, who had been sad and lonely without him, heard the news and ran to the beach to meet her beloved son.

Malin Kundang, wearing his expensive clothes and standing with his beautiful wife, didn’t recognise his mother and refused to greet the poor old woman. His mother begged him to see her three times, but he declined. At last Malin Kundang shouted “Enough, old woman! I have never had a dirty and ugly peasant woman like you as a mother!” and he ordered his crews to set sail.

His mother was angry. She shouted that she would turn him into stone unless he apologied. Malin Kundang laughed and started to sail away into the calm sea.

Suddenly a thunderstorm descended. Malin Kundang’s ship was tossed to and fro on the huge waves, and sank. Malin Kundang was thrown from the ship onto a small island and turned into stone.