NARRATION

NARRATION
READING AND WRITING SKILLS 11

Narration
 Refers
to the way that a story is told,
and so belongs to the level of discourse
 Theact of telling a story, usually in some
kind of chronological order. Making up a
scary ghost and relating it around a
camp fire is an act of narration.
Narration generally means any kind of
explaining or telling of something. It
usually used in reference to storytelling
ELEMENTS
of
Narration
Setting
 The time and location in which a story

takes place is called the setting. For
some stories the setting is very
important, while for others it is not.
There are several aspects of a story’s
setting to consider when examining how
setting contributes to a story (some, or
all, may be present in a story).
Setting
• Place- geographical location. Where is the action
of the story taking place?
• Time- when is the story taking place? (historical
period, time of day, year, etc)
• Weather conditions- is it rainy, sunny, stormy,
etc?
• Social condition- what is the daily life of the
characters like? Does the story contain local
colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress,
mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place?
• Mood or atmosphere- what feeling is created at
the beginning of the story? Is it bright and
Plot
 The plot is how the author arranges to

develop his basic idea. It is the sequence
of events in a story or play. The plot is
planned, logical series of events having
a beginning, middle, and end. The short
story usually has one plot so it can be
read in one sitting. There are five
essential parts of ploy.
Plot
• Introduction- the beginning of the story where the
characters and the setting is revealed.
• Rising Action- this is where the events in the story become
complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events
between the introduction and climax)
• Climax- this is the highest point of interest and the turning
point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next;
will the conflict be resolved or not?
• Falling action- the events and complications begin to resolve
themselves. The reader knows what happened next and if the
conflict was resolved or not ( events between climax and
denouement)
• Denouement- this is the final outcome or untangling of
events in the story. It is helpful to consider climax as a three-
fold phenomenon.
Character
There are two meanings for the word

character:
1) The person in a work of fiction
2) The characteristic of a person
Character
1) Person in a work of fiction (Antagonist and Protagonist)

-Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to
the story with all major events having some importance to this
character- he/she is the PROTAGONIST. The oppose of the main
character is called the ANTAGONIST.
2) The characteristics of a person

- In order for a story to seem real to the reader its characters must
seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the
reader about the characters themselves.
Conflict
 Conflict is essential to character as well as

plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the
opposition of forces which ties one incident to
another and makes the plot move. Conflict is
not limited to open arguments, rather it is any
form of opposition, or struggle, that faces the
main character. Within a short story there may
be only one central struggle, or there may be
dominant struggle with minor ones.
Conflict
 There are two types of Conflict;
1) External- a struggle with a force outside one’s self
2) Internal- a struggle within one’s self; a person must make some
decisions, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
 There are four kinds of conflict;
1) Man vs Man (physical)- the leading character struggles with
his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or
animals.
2) Man vs Circumstamnces (classical)- the leading character
struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her
3) Man vs Society (social)- the leading character struggles
against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs Himself/Herself (psychological)- the leading
character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul,
ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
Theme
 The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling

idea or its central insight. It is the author’s
underlying meaning or main idea that he is
trying to convey. The theme may be the
author’s thoughts about a topic or view of
human nature. The title of the short story
usually points to what the writer is saying and
he may use various figures of speech to
emphasize his theme, such as; symbol,
allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
Point of View
Point of view is defined as

the angle from which the
story is told
Point of View
1) Innocent Eyes- the story is told through eyes of a
child (his/her judgement being different from that of
an adult)
2) Sream of Consciousness- the story is told so that
the reader deels as if they are inside the head of one
character and knows all their thoughts and reactions
3) First Person- the story is told by the protagonist or
one of the characters who interacts closely with the
protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I,
me, we, etc). The reader sees the story through this
person’s eyes as he/she experiences it and only
knows what he/she knows or feels.
Point of View
4) Omniscient- the author can narrate the

story using the omniscient point of view. He
can move from character to character,
event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of his
characters and he introduces information
where and when he chooses. There are two
main types of omniscient point of view;
Point of View
a) Omniscient Limited- The author tells the story in third person

(using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc.) we know only what the
character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us.
We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author
chooses to reveal them to us.
b) Omniscient Objective- the author tells the story in the third
person. It appears as though a camera is following the
characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen
and heard. There is no comment on the characters of their
thoughts. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in
the position of spectator without there to explain. The reader
has to interpret events on his own.

NARRATION

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NARRATION

READING AND WRITING SKILLS 11

 The time and location in which a story

 The plot is how the author arranges to

There are two meanings for the word

1) Person in a work of fiction (Antagonist and Protagonist)

2) The characteristics of a person

 Conflict is essential to character as well as

 The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling

Point of view is defined as

4) Omniscient- the author can narrate the

a) Omniscient Limited- The author tells the story in third person

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