Scanning The Techniques of Reading

According to Santi V. Buscemi, “narration can be divided into two types: fiction and nonfiction. Works of nonfiction recount events that actually occurred. Works of fiction, though sometimes based on real-life experiences, are born of the author’s imagination and do not re-create events exactly as they happened”. 28 Narrative is the writing used to relate the story of acts or events. Narrative places occurrences in time and tells what happened according to time sequence. Types of narration are short stories, novels, and new stories, as well as a large part of our everyday social interchange in the form of letters and conversation. 29 Mark and Cathy Anderson stated that “narrative is a text that tells a story and, in doing so, entertains the audience”. 30 Narrative text basically is similar with a story. It is only a different term. For instance, when a reader was a child, he or she read Snow White Story. It is kind of narrative text. It consists of fiction story. There are many types of narrative. They can imaginary, factual or a combination of both. Here are the examples of narrative text: a. Myths b. Fairytales c. Aboriginal dreaming stories d. Science fiction e. Historical fiction f. Romance novels 31 g. Mysteries h. Horror stories i. Adventure stories j. Fables k. Legends l. Ballads 32 28 Santi V. Buscemi, A Reader for Developing Writers, New York: Mc Graw-Hill Inc, 2002, p. 341. 29 Georgie E. Wishon and Julia M. Burks, Ley’s Write English Revised Edition, New York: Litton Educational Publishing, Inc., 1980, p. 378. 30 Anderson, 2003, Loc.Cit. 31 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, South Yarra: Macmillan, 2003, p. 3 32 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 2, South Yarra: Macmillan, 2003, p. 18 Chatman classified narrative text into four basic elements as follows: 33 a. Characters All stories have characters that presents in the story. These are the easiest elements for students to locate. Many writers insist that the character is the single most important element in the narrative text. In the delineation of character has certain method as their disposal. They can describe us character physically: age, height, weight, and so forth. They can develop the character through action: what he does in different situation, how to react the problems. The author can also depict character through dialogue: how the character talks, what he says. Sometimes the author tells what the character thinking. b. Setting Writers, to add interest always let readers know where and when the story takes place. Sometimes the writer gives so many details; it seems to paint a picture you can see in your imagination. These details are called “setting” of the story. c. Plot Every story has ongoing events, plus actions by characters. A writer usually starts a story by introducing characters, as they respond to and solves problems, is called “plot”. d. Conclusion At the end of the story, the author brings action to a climax the most exiting point in the whole story. Then events are brought to a “conclusion” here the writer brings together all the important things that happened in the story, and tells how events work out for the characters. 33 Chatman, S., and B, Aubery, Reading Narrative Fiction, New York: McMillan, 1993, p. 23