Reference Literary Terms for Narratives PDF

NARRATIVE TERMS NARRATIVE or NARRATION “Narrative” describes the story itself, “Narration” is the act of telling it orally or the plot summary of the story in a or by way of writing. chronological and causal manner How? And with which choices of th...

NARRATIVE TERMS NARRATIVE or NARRATION “Narrative” describes the story itself, “Narration” is the act of telling it orally or the plot summary of the story in a or by way of writing. chronological and causal manner How? And with which choices of the What? is told in the story? author is the story told? Plot (Narrative) (WHAT?) The sequence of events or actions in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem. The events or experiences depicted in a work of literature of the narrative type refer to the question of what is told in the text. The scheme shown below is the sequence of a “traditional” plot line: There are five main elements in a plot. The first is the exposition or the introduction. This is known as the beginning of the story where characters and setting are established. The conflict or main problem is introduced as well. The second element of a plot is known as the rising action which occurs when a series of events build up to the conflict. The main characters are established by the time the rising action of a plot occurs and at the same time, events begin to get complicated. It is during this part of a story that excitement, tension or crisis is encountered. The third element of a plot is known as the climax or the main point of the plot. This is the turning point of the story and is meant to be the moment of highest interest and emotion. The reader wonders what is going to happen next. The fourth element of a plot is known as falling action. Events and complications begin to resolve and the result of actions of the main characters are put forward. The last element of a plot is the resolution, the denouement, or the conclusion. It is the end of a story and ends with either a happy or a tragic ending. Setting (WHEN? and WHERE?): The time and place of the action/events of a literary work that is of the type of a narrative. The time and place in which events take place in the narrative refer to the questions when and where in the literary work.  LIBE 150: Literary Terms and Genres Characters (WHO?) Who do we, as readers, follow in the story? Characters might be very often human beings but some narratives have nonhuman beings, entities as their characters as well. Characterization: The methods used by authors to create a character. PROTAGONIST VS. ANTAGONIST Protagonist Antagonist The central character, and focus of a The character opposing the protagonist; literary work. It is the main character, can be a person, idea, or force. who is trying to accomplish or overcome adversity and/or find solution to problems s/he faces in the action of the literary work. Types of Character Static character Dynamic character A character that does not grow or A character that undergoes a change in change throughout the story, that ends actions or beliefs during the course of as he/she/it began. the story. Motivation Conflict is an inherent incompatibility A reason that explains a character’s between the objectives of two or more thoughts, feelings, actions or behaviour. characters or forces. Conflict creates tension and interest in a story by adding doubt as to the outcome. Narrative tension is often described as “the reason you turn the page”—in other words, the reader’s desire to know what happens next. Narrative tension has three components: anticipation, uncertainty, and investment. NARRATIVE TENSION SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH CONFLICT. Theme (WHY?)1: A main idea or an issue, or many of them that is stated in relation to an underlying meaning of a story or another type of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly in the text of the work. These main ideas or issues are chosen by the authors or poets in relation to why they write the literary text in the first place. CONFLICT in Narrative (Why?)2: Conflict is when characters are placed in opposition with other characters, other forces, other entities or with their circumstances. Conflict on its own does not guarantee narrative tension, and narrative tension does not always come from conflict.  LIBE 150: Literary Terms and Genres Types of Conflict in Narratives: - Character vs. Character When a character has a problem with another character. - Character vs. Society When a character has a problem with society or social forces and institutions. - Character vs. the Metaphysical When a character has a problem with something s/he can't do anything about, such as God, luck, death, etc. - Character vs. Nature When a character has a problem with a force of nature such as, cold, storms, earthquakes, or inner forces of nature such as hunger, lust etc. - Character vs. Self When a character has a personal, inner-self problem with himself or herself. - Character vs. the Narrative or the Author or the Fictional World When a character has a problem with the authority of the author or the formation of the narrative. Suspense: The quality of a literary work that makes the reader uncertain or tense about the outcome of events. Examples: A character goes into a dark room, or a spooky building; any sort of deadline, especially if lives might be lost; any mystery, etc. Foreshadowing: Use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story, often used to build suspense or tension in a story. One of the most well-known foreshadowing techniques gets its name from the playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904). Chekhov famously said that if there is a pistol onstage in the first act, then it absolutely must go off in the second or third act. If it’s not going to go off, it’s got no business being present. Therefore, this object, skill, or other source of foreshadowing is referred to as “Chekhov’s pistol or gun”. Flashback is a literary device wherein the author depicts the occurrence of specific events to the reader, which have taken place before the present time the narration is following, or events that have happened before the events that are currently unfolding in the story. You can see flashbacks used very often in movies. For example, it is common in movies for there to be a flashback that gives the viewer a look into the characters life when they were younger, or when they have done something previously. This is done to help the viewer better understand the present situation.  LIBE 150: Literary Terms and Genres Point of view (PoV) / Narrator The perspective from which a story is told (for example, first person, or third person speaking voice or the point of view of a mentally challenged person or a child’s point of view). THE DIFFERENT NARRATOR TYPES There are all kinds of narrators–going way beyond simple first or third person. A) FIRST PERSON NARRATOR A1. THE PROTAGONIST Relatively straightforward, this is a story the hero narrates. The character will narrate the same way s/he talks, but with more description and perhaps better grammar. The reader is privy to all their thoughts and opinions, which means we get to know the hero faster, and often relate to him more easily. A2. THE SECONDARY CHARACTER Someone close to the protagonist, but not the main hero. The same things in the above type apply to this type, but the focus of the story moves away from the narrator. B) THIRD PERSON NARRATOR B1. THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT: This type knows all, peeking into the lives of major and minor characters, reading everyone’s thoughts. This enables the writer to explore multiple facets of the story in depth. B2. THIRD PERSON LIMITED: This type knows only what the main character, or characters, know. This is more restrictive, but increases suspense and intrigue, because the reader only solves the mystery at the same time the characters do. The following types can fall into either omniscient or limited: 1. THE DETACHED OBSERVER: A detached third person narrator sticks to telling the story, and never inserts their own opinions—never slips in an “I” or a “me” except in direct dialogue. 2. THE COMMENTATOR: This type never physically enters the story, but freely adds in their own amusing commentary. Allows voice without the complication of using an existing character. 3. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN: Or maybe the narrator isn’t a strict “third person,” but is involved in the story in some way. 4. THE INTERVIEWER: This type has collected the details of the story after it happened, such as by interviewing the characters. This lends a sense of reality to the story. 5. THE SECRET CHARACTER: Sometimes a narrator only pretends to be removed from the story—they may refer to themselves in third person right up to the end, but will eventually be mentioned by some other character, or revealed to be a major character, even the villain, for an extra-pleasing plot twist. 6. THE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR: Usually first person, but occasionally third, an unreliable narrator has a flawed point of view. That is, the writer intentionally made them biased, misinformed, insane, etc.