Understanding Narrative Texts: Elements, Structure, and Genres
Item 14: The Novel
1. Narrative Texts
Narrative texts are those in which events that happen to characters in a specific space and time are recounted. In the dominant narrative, objectivity is key. The author invents a story and strives to make it plausible, which does not necessarily mean it should be real, but rather believable. The main elements of narrative texts are as follows:
The Narrator
The narrator is the voice that tells the story, a fundamental element. It is important not to confuse the narrator with the author. The author is the person who writes the story, while the narrator is an imaginary entity within the story. The narrator can use different perspectives, depending on their attitude towards the events and their knowledge of them.
- First-Person Narrative
- Protagonist Narrator: The narrator is a character in the story.
- Narrator Witness: Their role is secondary, and they only know what they have seen or been told.
- Transcriber Narrator: The narrator presents themselves as the editor of something written by a fictional person.
- Second-Person Narration: The narrator seems to address themselves.
- Third-Person Narrative
- Narrator Observer: The narrator is limited to what they have heard or seen of the characters.
- Equiscient Narrator: The narrator knows the reality from the perspective of a single character.
- Omniscient Narrator: The narrator knows everything about the characters, including their intimacy, thoughts, and feelings. They can make comments and foreshadow events.
Characters, Space, and Time
Among the elements in a narrative are the characters, space, and time.
- Characters: We learn about their psychological characteristics, behaviors, thoughts, and appearance.
- Space: This may be imaginary or a reflection of reality. It can be a decorative element or influence the characters’ behavior.
- Time: Time is the duration of the events in the narrative. It can be brief or long. Time also influences the pace of the narrative. Events that occur over long periods are often recounted more quickly, while events that happen in short periods usually have a slower pace.
Action and the Order of Events
The action is shaped by what happens to the characters from start to finish. The facts are recounted in an order that can take four main forms:
- Chronological or Linear Order: Introduction + rising action + climax + falling action + resolution.
- In Medias Res Order: Rising action + introduction + climax + falling action + resolution.
- In Extrema Res Order: Resolution + rising action + climax + falling action + introduction.
- Fragmented Structure: Like a temporal puzzle.
Forms of Elocution and Language Features
Narrative elements can combine various forms of elocution:
- In narrative, the verbal style prevails. Verbs often indicate the passage of time.
- Description is combined with narration to depict reality. It is dominated by the nominal style: an abundance of nouns, adjectives, and copulative sentences with descriptive and stylistic resources.
- In narrative texts, dialogue or monologue is used to convey what characters say or think. The main forms of presentation are:
- Direct Speech
- Indirect Speech
- Free Direct Style
- Free Indirect Style
- Interior Monologue
Narrative Genres
- Novel: A fictional story of considerable length and complexity. The novel has many subgenres, such as historical, realistic, detective, and horror.
- Short Story: A short fictional story, mostly centered on one character and an intense and dynamic narrative.