16
b. Complication
This is the part of the story where the narrator tells about something that will begin in a chain of events. These events will affect one or more of
the characters. The complication is the trigger. c.
Sequence of event This is where the narrator tells how the characters react to the
complication. It includes their feelings and what they do. The events can be told in chronological order the order in which they happen or
with flashback. The audience is given the narrator’s point of view. d.
Resolution In this part of the narrative the complication is sorted out or problem is
solved. e.
Coda The narrator includes a coda if there is a moral or message to be learned
from the story.
19
5. The Example of Narrative Text
Snow White
Once upon a time, there lived a little girl named Snow White. She lived with her Aunt and Uncle because her parents were
dead. One day, she heard her Uncle and Aunt talking about
leaving Snow White in the castle because they both wanted to go to America and they didn’t have enough money to take Snow White.
Snow White did not want her Uncle and Aunt to do this, so she decided it would be best if she ran away. The next morning, she
ran away from home when her Aunt and Uncle were having breakfast. She ran away into the woods.
She was very tired and hungry. Then, she saw this little cottage. She knocked, but no one answered, so she went inside and
19
Ibid,p.4
17
fell asleep. Meanwhile, the seven drawfs were coming home from
work. They went inside. There they found Snow White sleeping. Then Snow White woke up. She saw the dwarfs. The dwarfs said,
“what is your name?” Snow White answered, “my name is Snow white.”
The other dwarf asked, “if you wish, you may live here with us.” Snow White said, “Oh, could I? Thank you” Then Snow
White told the dwarfs the whole story, and Snow White and the 7 dwarfs lived happily ever after.
6. Grammatical Features of Narrative Text
Narrative usually includes the following grammatical features: a.
Nouns that identify the spesific characters and place in the story b.
Adjectives that provides accurate description of the characters and setting.
c. Verbs that show the actions that occur in the story.
d. Time words that connect events, telling when they occured.
20
According Aristotle’s definition, there have been many attempts to establish criteria which would define the well-formed story. Among the
many suggested, two seem to be widely accepted. The first is that, to count as a narrative, there has to be a sequence of narrative clauses clauses
containing a verb in the simple past tense or, sometimes, the historic present tense whose order matches the real time order of the events
described in those clauses. These clauses constitute the heart of the story, or narrative „core’. The second is that a story has to have a beginning,
middle and an end
21
.
20
Ibid,p.4
21
Thornborrow and Coates, The Sociolinguistics of Narrative, Philadelphia : John Benjamins Publishing, 2005,p.3
