TOPIC 32 AVU

TOPIC 32: NARRATIVE TEXTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2. NARRATIVE STRUCTURES AND THEIR ELEMENTS 2.1 Narrative structures 2.2 Elements of the narrative structures -

settings

-

narrator 

-

characters

-

orthodox/free/indirect discourse in narratives

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE TEXTS 3.1 General characteristics 3.2 Characteristics of specific types of narrative texts 4. CONCLUSION 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. INTRODUCTION

This topic concentrates on one of the types of textual communication: narrative texts. It is important first to clear the boundaries of the terms under study as they will provide a clear idea from the very beginning of what it is t o come next, placing the elements in its real context and giving sense to the whole topic and link it with the whole learning practice. Narration is a part of spoken and written discourse, which is aimed at developing in users (in our case students) a functional competence. It was a term coined by Farhady who stated that: “Language learners would perform certain communicative functions, and I propose that the knowledge of these functions be called functional competence” competence” (Farhaday: 1991)  According to the Common European European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFRL), (CEFRL), it has to do with the use of spoken discourse and written texts in communication for  particular functional purposes. Therefore, when we communicate we convey a

specific purpose. The main functions of language (or macrofunctions) include:

 According to the CEFRL, the term ‘text’ is used to cover: “Any piece of language, whether a spoken utterance or a piece of writing, which users/learners receive, produce or exchange” (CEFRL: 93)

 A text can be defined as functional language, that is, language that is doing some function in some context, as opposed to isolated words or sentences. Texts can be either spoken, written or expressed through any other medium. However, and for  the purposes of the present topic, we will consider text taking the written means as the major figure. Product: recorded, studied

TEXT

Process: semantic choice

marked by

Coherence: sense Completion: whole

We can say that a text is both a product and a process, both of them marked by coherence and completion. Both coherence and completion are given to the text by the use of functional and topical sequences. 

Functional sequences, include bound morphemes (-ed, -s) and f unction words (articles, pronouns, conjunctions).



Topical sequences, include content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs).

To sum up, beginning with a thematic text base, we can expand the text with coherent and completed linguistic units as long as we may want to fill in our meaning purposes.

We have so far talked about texts, but it is very important to keep in mind that it is in context where texts occur and where they are to be interpreted. When performing a text, the encoder chooses the way in which he will link his text with the context.  According to the way in which this is done, we find two groups of texts: the non-

fictional text group and the fictional text group. Non-fictional Texts (news stories, reports, regulations, comments…). The What  narrative is: its content, consisting

Story 

( The what of the narrative) Discourse

of events, actions and location. How  the narrative is told: arrangement,

( The how of the narrative)

Emphasis, elements of the content.

decoder is expected to share the encoder’s referential presuppositions. Since anonfictional text is situationally bound, its information is accepted as historically/temporally valid.

Fictional Texts (short

stories,

novels,

sonnets…).

They

are

situationally

autonomous. The addressee is not a specific one and he is not expected to share the communication situation with the encoder. The encoder presupposes the addressee to understand the fictional text within its own internal fields of 

reference, which create fields of fictitious contextual reference. Firth also stressed the importance of context taking into account: -The tenor, that is to say, the participants -The field or action where events take place -The mode or the effects of the verbal action. Up to here we have been concerned with texts in general and we have seen the different text types and text groups. Let us move on now to a deeper study of  NARRATIVE TEXTS.

One problem we may face in the definition of narrative is that we all seem to know what stories and narrative are, so we might wonder whether one should define it at all. Another problem is that many scholars have a tendency to be circular in their  definitions of the word, or of terms which make use of the word narrative. Quite frequently, the word to be defined is included in the definition itself. Here are some examples, Chatman (1978: 31) defines narrative as a structure which is made up of  narrative statements. Kenan (1983: 2) defines narrative fiction as ‘the narration of a succession offictional events’. To narrate is to tell real or imaginary events, that is, non fictional and fictional texts. Narration is found everywhere, in literature, in the mass media (press, radio and TV, internet) and in our daily conversations. A narration can be made from an objective and a subjective point of view and the main difference is the attitude of the encoder as for the content of the text. (journalistic style, writing for print, news story, feature article). In fact, to narrate is a frequent activity. An amazing fact, a casual encounter, or a daily story turn into life once told to others. However, the interest of a narration is not only in WHAT is narrated, but also in HOW it is narrated. The what of narrative can be viewed in terms of narrative content, which consists, as far as the main elements are concerned, of events, actors, time and location. The way has to do with how the narrative is told. We can sum it as follows:

NARRATIVE

 A narrative text is an account of events. In a narrative discourse the author does not talk about a story: he tells a story, expressing in words events which have taken place

at a particular time

, in a particular setting and under particular circumstances

, unifying the what and the how.

Narrative text= Succession of events told at a particular time, setting and Circumstances

In a narration real or imaginary events are told. It may include factual (non-fictional narrative) and fictional narrative. The first presents a real life´s person account of a real life-story. The latter, an imaginary narrator´s account of a story that happened in an imaginary world. Finally, Narratology deals with all types of narratives, that is, literary and non-literary, fictional and non-fictional, verbal and non-verbal. Narrative texts are prevalent in oral stories, novels or drama, for instance. They are based on familiar world knowledge and follow a structure more aligned with oral language.  A basic distinction should be made between what we understand by narrative and text: