Reading and Writing in the CIRC Framework
characters, setting, problems, attempted solutions, final solution. Hence, in this study, the students are to read a narrative text and then produce a piece of
narrative. 1 Definition of Narrative
A narrative tells a story. It’s usually told chronologically, in time order, from beginning to end Reed and Ellis, 2003:87. Dumais 1988: 60 also states
the same definition; narrative is a kind of writing which tells a story – a series of connected incidents, or an action – process of an action.
The basic purpose of narratives is to entertain, and to gain and hold the reader’s interest in a story. However, narratives may also seek to teach or inform,
to embody the writer’s reflections on experience, and to nourish and extend the reader’s imagination Derewianka, 1990: 40.
2 Types of Narrative According to Derewianka 1990: 40, there are thirteen types of narratives.
Most of them are typically imaginary, but some others are factual. They are: a Fairy Tale
It is a well-known story form the folk-lore for children, which often involves fairies or other magical characters, e.g. Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Snow
White, etc. b Mystery
It is an invented story about something that is secret or exciting which may soon be discovered or revealed.
c Science Fiction This story is about imaginary future developments in science and their effect
on life, often concerned with space travel, e.g. Star Wars. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
d Romance This story deals with romantic love. There are often some obstacles in the way
but true love wins out at the end, e.g. Romeo and Juliet. e Horror Story
It is a story which attempts to scare the readers or listeners with frightening events, e.g. The Mummy.
f Hero and Villain In this story, there are two main characters, good and bad, which have
problems. The good one usually wins out at the end, e.g. Superman, Spiderman, etc.
g Adventure story It is a story which includes exciting and dangerous events that characters have
to solve, e.g. Scobydoo. h Parable
Parable is a short, simple story which teaches a moral or religious lesson, especially a story from the Bible.
i Fable Fable is a short tale used to teach a moral, often with animals as characters, e.g.
The Fox and the Goat, The Mouse and the Lion, etc. j Moral Tales
Those are stories which explicitly try to teach people about the right way to behave, e.g. Nassreddin and Three Wise Men.
k Myth It is a story which belongs to a particular ethnic group and tries to explain the
way of nature and the universe. Wong 2003: 35 defines myths as creation stories of gods and goddesses.
l Legend Legend is described as an old story about great events and people in ancient
times, which may not be true. According to Wong 2003: 48, legend refers to feats accomplished by human beings or a historical story attached to a place,
e.g. The Legend of Danau Toba, Tangkuban Perahu, etc. m Historical Narrative
It is a story that tells real events in the past, e.g. The Story of Monumen Jogja Kembali.
Moreover, Wong 2003: 59 adds two other narratives. They are: 1 Pourquoi tales
These stories anwser questions or give explanations for the way things are, especially in nature. e.g. How Monkeys were Made, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in
People’s Ears, etc. 2 Fantasy
It is a story that takes readers into a make-believe world where events, setting, andor characters are outside the realm of possibility. E.g. Gorilla, Winni-the-
Pooh and Some Bees, Harry Potter, etc. However, not all types of those narratives are used in this material design.
The writer chooses only some kinds of narratives; they are fable, fairy tale, pourquoi tale, myth, horror story, short story, romance and legend.