Title Stage Exposition—clauses 1-6
124
Table 39: Surface and notional structure segments of the Cow story
Surface Structure
Notional Structure
Clause Macrostructure
Rank of participants
Title Top of
page Story about the Birth of a Calf
Stage Exposition 1-6
Two men from the same village, one with a cow and another with a bull,
graze their cattle together. 1. Cow owner
2. Bull owner Pre-peak 1 Inciting
Moment 7-9
The cow gives birth to a calf, and the two men continue to graze cattle
together. 1. Cow owner
2. Bull owner Pre-peak 2 Developing
Conflict 1 10-42
The bull owner claims that the calf is his because his bull impregnated the cow.
1. Cow owner 2. Bull owner
Pre-peak 3 Developing Conflict 2
43-64 This issue of who is the rightful owner
becomes a problem, so they decide that they should both find an elder to help
mediate this conflict. 1. Cow owner
2. Bull owner
Pre-peak 4 Developing Conflict 3
65-107 The bull owner finds an elder and then
the cow owner goes to find one. While he is on his way, he is startled by Uncle
Rabbit running along the road. Uncle Rabbit agrees to help him mediate his
problem. 1. Cow owner
2. Rabbit 3. Bull owner
Peak Climax
108- 152
All the participants converge to discuss the issue of the calf. Rabbit relates a
story about his uncle giving birth. The bull owner denies that such a thing
could ever happen. Rabbit then points out that if he claims that a bull can give
birth to a calf, then his uncle can have a child. Rabbit states that the calf must
belong to the cow owner. 1. Bull owner
2. Rabbit 3. Cow owner
4. Elders
Closure Conclusion 153-
156 The bull owner hears Rabbit’s
arguments and excuses himself from the gathering under the pretext that he needs
to use the bathroom. 1. Bull owner
2. People