Narrative Text

Definition of Narrative Text
A narrative text is an imaginative story to entertain people

Generic Structure of Narrative Text
# Orientation: It is about the opening paragraph where the characters of the story are introduced# Complication: Where the problems in the story developed.

# Resolution : Where the problems in the story is solved. Masalah selesai, secara baik “happy ending” ataupun buruk “bad ending”.
# Coda / reorientation (optional) – lesson from the story.

Purpose of Narrative Text
– The Purpose of Narrative Text is to amuse or to entertain the reader with a 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 action. (killed, dug, walked, etc)
– Direct speech. It is to make the story lively. (Snow White said,” My name is Snow White). Direct speech uses the present tense.

Example :

1. Fable

Origin of the Snail House

In ancient times, the snails did not bring their home anywhere. In the beginning, snails lived in an abandoned bird’s nest in the trees. The night was warm and the day was cool because the leaves shaded the nest where the snails lived. But when the rains came, the leaves could no longer block the rain that fell. Snails caught cold and wet when the rainy season arrived.

Then the snails moved into the holes in the trunks of trees. When the day was hot, the snails were well protected, even if it rained. It looked like that I had found a suitable home for me, the snail said in his heart.

But on a sunny day, there came a woodpecker. Tok..to … to … woodpecker kept pecking the trunks where the snails lived. Snails became very distracted and could not sleep. With an annoyed heart, snails went out of the hole in the trunk and looked for a place to stay next. Snails found a hole in the ground, which seemed to be warm when the night came, thought snails. Snails cleaned up those holes and decided to stay in it. But it turned out when the night came. The rats came from all directions to damage the hole. Again and again, the snails had to leave the hole to find a new home.

Snails then moved on to the edge of the beach filled with coral reefs. He thought that the sidelines of the corals might be his home. Snails could take a rest peacefully in this place. But when the tide rose up to the top of the rock, the snail has swept away along with the surge of the waves. As usual, the snails had to go away to find a new home. When he was walking away from the beach, the snail found an empty shell. This shape was beautiful and very light. Being tired and cold, snails went into the shell. Snails felt warm and comfortable then he slept in it.

When the morning came, snails realized that he had found the best home for himself. He did not need to go home in a hurry if it rained. He also would not get heat anymore, and no one would bother him. He then brought it home with him wherever he went.

2. Fairy Tale

Cinderella

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl named Cinderella. He lived with his stepmother and two sisters. They were arrogant and bad-tempered. They treated Cinderella very badly. Her stepmother made Cinderella do the hardest job in the house, such as scrubbing the floor, cleaning the pot and pan, and preparing food for the family. Her stepsisters, on the other hand, did not work on the house. Their mother gave them many pretty dresses to wear.

One day, a king invited all girls in his kingdom to attend a ball in his palace. They were excited about this and spent so much time choosing the dresses they would wear. Cinderella could not stop crying after they left.

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

She looked up and saw a fairy standing beside her. Then Cinderella told her why she was crying. Well, the fairy said, “you’ve been such a cheerful, hardworking, uncomplaining girl that I will see that you go to the ball.” The fairy turned a pumpkin into a coach and mice into a smooth two coachman and footman then tapped Cinderella’s dress with her wand, and it became a beautiful ball gown.

Then he gave her a pair of pretty glass shoes. Now, Cinderella, she said, “you have to leave the ball before midnight”. Then he drove away a wonderful coach. Cinderella had a marvelous time either. She danced again and again with the prince. Suddenly the clock began to strike twelve, she ran toward the door as fast as he could do. In her hurry, one of her glass shoes left behind.

A few days later, the prince declared that he would marry the girl whose feet fitted the glass shoe. Cinderella’s stepsisters tried on it but it was too small for them, no matter how hard they squeezed their toes into it. In the end, the king’s page let Cinderella try the shoe. She stretched his legs and slipped the shoe on the page. It fitted perfectly. Finally, she was ushered into a magnificent palace and height. The prince was glad to see her again. They married and lived happily ever after.

Narrative text Assignment: English Book Page 78