\ Textual features of a narrative text comprise generic structure and
linguistic features. The generic structure comprises orientation, complication and resolution. The linguistic features comprise the vocabulary that is relevant to the
subject matter, the use of past tense, the use of time transitions and the use of adjectives.
1. Generic Structure
After analyzing the 25 students’ narrative texts, the writer found that most of the tenth grade students’ narrative texts had the generic structure, including
orientation, complication and resolution. The tenth grade students’ generic structure of narrative texts is presented in Table 4.1:
Table 4.1 The Students’ Generic Structure of Narrative Texts
Generic Structure Orientation
Complication Resolution
1
√ √
√
2
√ √
√
3
√ _
_ 4
√ √
√
5
√ √
√
6
√ √
√
7 _
√ √
8
√ √
√
9
√ √
√
10
√ √
√
11
√ √
√
12
√ √
√
13
√ √
√
14
√ √
√
15
√ √
√
16
√ √
√
17
√ √
_ 18
√ √
√ S
tu d
en t’
s T
ex t
N u
m b
er
19
√ √
√
This table is continued to the next page
35 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
\
Generic Structure Orientation
Complication Resolution
23
√ √
√
24
√ √
√
25
√ √
√
26
√ √
√ Total
24 24
23 Percentage
96 96
92
Note: There are two stories in the text, one of which had orientation but the second story didn’t have
orientation. Thus, the writer considered the text didn’t have orientation as the orientation wasn’t complete.
It is clear that almost all 96 of the tenth grade students’ narrative texts had orientation. Almost all 96 of the narrative texts had complications. There
were 92 of the narrative texts that had resolutions. There were not any frequent errors made by the students in applying generic structure. Thus, applying generic
structure in narrative texts is not a problem for the students. In order to give specific information concerning the students’ generic
structure, each generic structure item is discussed in the following section. It discusses the orientation, complication, and resolution in developing a narrative
text. a. Orientation
Orientation is the setting in time and place and the characters of the story. In this part, the characters, setting, and the time of the story are established. This
part usually answers the questions who, when, and where. Consider the following examples, which are grammatically revised:
Example 1: Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl called Cinderella and she had
two ugly stepsisters who were very unkind [and] who made her do all the hard work.
One day, a special invitation arrived at Cinderella’s house. It was from the royal palace. The king’s only son was a truly handsome prince [and he]
36 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
\ was going to have a grand ball. [The] Three girls were invited to come.
Student’s Text 11— see Appendix 10
In example 1, it is also known that the characters are Cinderella, her stepsisters, and there is also a king and a prince. The story happens in a kingdom as there is a
palace mentioned. The story takes place once upon a time. Example 2:
Long [long] time ago there lived a priest, Ki Ajar, who had a little baby. Amazingly, his baby was a snake. He ordered the snake to meditate in
Mount Sileker. Ki Ajar named his child Baruklinting. Student’s Text 12—see Appendix 11
From example 2, we can also find who the characters are, when the story takes place, and where the story happens. The characters are Ki Ajar, Baruklinting a.k.a.
the snake. The story takes place a long time ago and it happens in Mount Sileker area.
Example 3: Once upon a time [there] was a girl named Cinderella. She lived with bad
step mother and two [stepsisters]. She had to do all household chores. One day, the king invited all the ladies in the kingdom to go to a ball in the
palace. He wanted to [get] the Prince a wife. Student’s Text 26—see Appendix 16
From the text above, we know who the characters are, when and where the story happens. The characters are Cinderella, her mother, her stepsisters, a king and a
prince. The story takes place once upon a time in a kingdom. Almost all of the tenth grade students’ texts have orientations. Even
though some of the orientations had some grammatical errors, they were considered correct for grammar was not comprised in generic structure. Thus,
96 of the students’ texts had orientations. 37
\ b. Complication and Resolution
Complication is the problem to be solved by the character of a story. And also, there must be resolutions of the complications. Complication should be
resolved for better or worst or happily or unhappily in a story. Consider the following examples, which are grammatically revised:
Example 1: When [his] mother came, Malin Kundang, in front of his well dressed
wife, his crews and his own [glories] denied [to] [meeting] that old, poor and dirty woman. For three times she begged Malin Kundang and for three
times she yelled at him. At last Malin Kundang said to her “Enough, old woman I have never had a mother like you, a dirty and ugly peasant”
Then he ordered his crews to set sail. Enraged, she cursed Malin Kundang that he would turn into a stone if he
didn’t apologize. Malin Kundang just laughed and set sail. In the quite sea, suddenly a thunderstorm came. His huge ship was
wrecked and it was too late for Malin Kundang to apologize[d]. He was thrown by the wave out of his ship, fell on a small island, and suddenly
turned into [a] stone. Student’s Text 15—see Appendix 13
In example 1 above, the sentences underlined are the complication and the rest statements are the resolution. There was a complication between Malin Kundang
and his mother in example 1. Malin Kundang denied that he had an old, poor, dirty, and ugly peasant mother. His mother had begged Malin Kundang to
acknowledge her as his mother. But Malin Kundang was too arrogant to acknowledge her as his mother in front of his wife and crews. His mother, then,
cursed Malin Kundang into a stone. Meanwhile, Malin Kundang just laughed and then sailed away. Then, there was a resolution where Malin Kundang was thrown
out of his ship. He fell on an island and then he turned into stone. 38
\ Example 2:
Bandung Bandawasa called [together] thousands of genies. They worked so hard that just before [then] sun rose, they had built nine hundred and
ninety temples. Lara Jonggrang [became] frightened. She went quickly to the nearest
village and asked for help. “Wake up all the cocks,“ she said, “and make them crow [so that] when the giant hears them, he will believe that it is
already morning.” When the giant heard the crow, he thought he had been beaten. Then, the genies [stopped] building temples and they [were] going
to a mountain[s]. Later, he found out that Lara Jonggrang had tricked him. He, then, turned
her into the thousandth temple. Student’s Text 19—see Appendix 15
In example 2, the sentences underlined are the complication and the rest statements are the resolution. Lara Jonggrang was in trouble when the giant were
going to be able to build a thousand temple she had asked as a condition to marry her. Then, there was a resolution when Lara Jonggrang tried to wake all the cocks
up so that the cocks crow and scare the genies away. Example 3:
The [stepsisters] went to the ball that night with their mother. Cinderella was left alone. She cried because she actually wanted to go to the ball too.
Just then a fairy godmother came. With her magic wand, she gave Cinderella a coach, two horses, and footmen. She also gave Cinderella [a]
lovely dress to wear to the ball and a pair of glass slippers. She told Cinderella to come home before midnight.
At the ball, Cinderella danced all night with the prince. The prince [fell] in love with her. At midnight, Cinderella ran home. Student’s Text 26—see
Appendix 16
In example 3, the sentences underlined are the complication and the rest statements are the resolution. Cinderella had a problem where she was left alone
by her stepsisters and stepmother. She cried and really wanted to go to the ball. Then, there was a resolution where a fairy godmother came to her and helped her
with all Cinderella’s needs to go to the ball. 39
\ Almost all of the tenth grade students’ texts have complication and
resolution. Even though some of the complication and resolution had some grammatical errors, they are considered correct for grammar is not comprised in
generic structure.
2. Linguistic Features
