Narrative Text

1.  Definition of Narrative Text

Narrative text is a type of text in English to tell a story that has a chronological sequence of events that are interconnected. The purpose of this text is to entertain the reader about a story or story.

2. Types of Narrative Text

Narrative text can be imaginary or factual. Here is an example of a genre from Narrative text:

a. Fairy tale

b. Mystery

c. Science fiction

d. Romance

e. Horror

f. Fable

g. Myth and legend

h. History

i. Slice of life

j. Personal experience

k. and so forth

3. Characteristics of Narrative Text

a. Using action verbs in the form of past tenses.

b. Using a specific noun as a pronoun.

c. Using the Adjective to form Noun Phrase.

d. Use the Conjunction to sort events.

4. Narrative Text Structure

The structure of the narrative text focuses on a series of stages that are proposed to build a text on its own.

In general, there are four stages in Narrative text, namely:

a. Orientation

Orientation or so-called introduction, contains about who, when, where a story is set.

b. Complication

Complication tells the beginning of the problem that causes the peak of the problem or what is commonly called the climax. This section usually involves the main character of the story.

c. Resolution

This section is the end of the story or in the form of a solution to the problem that occurred. Problems can be solved can be for better or even worse which will make the story end happily or vice versa.

Sometimes, there are resolutions which are other problems to solve. It is deliberately created by the author to increase and maintain interest and tension for the readers. Usually, this type of resolution is found in the mysteries and horror genres.

d. Re-orientation

The part is the closing of a story which is optional. Re-orientation can contain moral lessons, suggestions or teachings from the author.

Example Narrative Text

Cinderella

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Cinderella. She lived with her step mother and two step sisters. The step mother and her two daughters didn’t like Cinderella. They treated Cincerella very bad. Cinderella usually did the hardest works in the house; such as scrubbing the floor, cleaning the pot and pan and preparing the food for the family, and so on.

One day, a ball was to be held by the royal family of the kingdom to find the Prince’s spouse. Cinderella wanted to go to the ball but her step mother asked her to stay at home and do the house works. Cinderella cried. Then there was a fairy godmother standing beside her.

“Why are you crying, Cinderella?”, the fairy godmother asked.

“Because I want to go to the ball but my step mother insists me to stay at home. Besides, I don’t have any beautiful dress” said Cinderella.

Then the fairy turned Cinderella’s ugly dress became the most beautiful dress and with beautiful slippers. The fairy also turned a pumpkin into a parking coach and the mice become six white horses. Cinderella fiinally could go to the ball but she had to come back before midnight before the spell ended.

At the ball, Cinderella amazed everybody there include the Prince. The Prince asked her to dance. Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball. But, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock, the first stroke of midnight. Remembered what the fairy had said, Cinderella ran back to go home. But she lost one of her slippers in ballroom. The Prince picked up her slipper and would search for the girl whose foot fitted with the slipper.

A few days later, the Prince proclaimed that he would marry the girl whose feet fitted the slipper. Her step sisters tried on the slipper but it was too small for them, no matter how hard they squeezed their toes into it. In the end, the King’s solder let Cinderella try on the slipper. She stuck out her foot and the page slipped the slipper on. It fitted perfectly.

Finally, she was driven to the palace. The Prince was overjoyed to see her again. They were married and live happily ever after.