Narrative Structure, Syntax, and Medieval Literature
Theme 3: The Story
Narration is explaining facts or fiction taking place in space and time. It is a short story, typically in prose. A story revolves around a single event and has few characters. The introduction must attract the reader immediately. The plot is much simpler than in a novel. The characters are not numerous, and the few that appear are not characterized in detail. The space and time where the story is located are usually very diversified. There are abundant descriptions and dialogue. The style of the story is very refined.
Story Structure
- Introduction: Describes the environment, space, and time; provides clues to know where the action takes place; introduces the characters, etc.
- Body: The part where the main events occur. The appearance of a conflict is followed by a range of situations that develop the plot.
- Denouement: Resolution of the plot’s conflict.
Syntactic Groups
A syntactic group is a word or group of words around a core that performs a specific function in the sentence. The nominal group serves as the subject, and the verbal group as the predicate.
Types of Syntactic Groups
| Type | Core | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal | Noun | The bit |
| Verbal | Verb | Does not come tomorrow |
| Adjectival | Adjective | Big enough |
| Adverbial | Adverb | Slowly |
Diphthongs and Hiatus
Diphthong: The pronunciation of two vowels in the same syllable.
A diphthong occurs when two vowels come into contact, the second of which is a ‘y’ or ‘u’. Also in the group ‘g/q’ plus a vowel.
Types of Diphthongs
-
Rising Diphthongs:
- G/Q + vowel
- UA: gain, qua-tre
- EU: culs-ti-o, following that
- UI: pin-gui, or-bli-qui-ness
- UO: quo-rum, quo-ta
-
Falling Diphthongs:
- Vowel + i/u
- AI: air, never
- AU: cache-re
- EI: king’s, re-mei
- EU: de-fen-dant, voice
- OI: boi-ra, roi
- UI: u-ti-li-ty, re-live
- UU: leads, lluu
Hiatus: The occurrence of two consecutive vowels that are not part of the same syllable.
A hiatus occurs when two vowels come into contact, the second of which is neither an ‘i’ nor a ‘u’.
Exception: If the first vowel is preceded by a diphthong with ‘g’ or ‘q’, it forms a hiatus.
Word Composition
This is the procedure by which we form new words from combinations of two or more words that have meaning on their own.
Formation of Compound Words
Compound words can be formed through different procedures:
- Joined directly: spokesman
- Joined by a hyphen: three-hundred
- Written separately: zebra crossing
They may belong to different grammatical categories:
- Verb + Noun: hatrack, lifeguard, puzzle
- Noun + Noun: rail, wolfdog, northeast
- Noun + Adjective: Bonaventura, step two
- Noun + Adjective/Participle: welcome, first-seen, clairvoyant
- Adjective + Participle: welcome, first-seen, clairvoyant
- Adjective + Adjective: bittersweet, artistic-musical
- Noun + Verb: twist, flip
- Adjective/Adverb + Verb: mis-speak, neglect
Composition with a Tonic Prefix
Some words are formed by a tonic prefix and a word. Unstressed prefixes such as ‘a-‘, ‘in-‘, ‘from-‘, etc., are considered derivative prefixes.
Medieval Literature
Medieval Epic Poetry
Compositions designed to capture the historical reality of the time.
- Epic Poems: Heroic poems that narrate historical events.
Chansons de Geste (Songs of Deeds)
Narrative poems focused on historical events, performed by traveling minstrels, accompanied by stringed instruments, recited or sung in front of audiences of all kinds.
Chronicles
They are between epic poetry and history. Written to be read and recited aloud. They mix historical truth with fiction. Written in the vernacular.
Epic Poetry and History in Our Literature
They correspond to the mid-thirteenth century, when the expansionist policy of the House of Aragon was oriented towards the Iberian Peninsula. This territorial expansion strengthened the Crown of Aragon, and there was a growing culture. The starting date of our literature is dated from the second half of the thirteenth century, with the works of Ramon Llull and the writing of the Chronicle of King James I.
The Chronicles
They have great historical and literary value.
Purpose:
- To explain the political actions of the king to the people.
- To extol the King: the monarchy is presented as a cohesive element of the Crown of Aragon.