Important Elements in Narrative Text

Narrative Comprehension and Literary Terminology

Story-grammar components, based on the research of Mandler and Johnson (1977), Rumelhart (1977), Thorndyke (1977), Stein and Glenn (1979), and Trabasso and van den Broek (1985), define the typical structure of a fiction story. In studies of retellings, story events were found to occur in a similar pattern from story to story. The elements of narrative comprehension and literary terminology are listed and defined below.

PLOT: “Plot is a sequence of events that occurs to characters in situations in the beginning, middle, and end of a story” (Hancock, 2004, p. 136).

SETTING: The setting provides the reader with relevant information about the location and time of the story. The author usually gives a description of the time and place. A discussion of the setting is important to prepare the readers for the story.

CHARACTERS: At the beginning of the story, along with the setting, the main characters are introduced. The goals of the main characters drive the plot of the story (i.e., goals, attempt/actions, and outcomes).

INITIATING EVENT: The transition from the initial setting occurs when an initiating event causes a change of state in the story. If the initiating event did not occur, the story would stay in the setting. Each narrative contains an initiating event.

EPISODES: The goal, attempt, and outcome sequences form the episodes of the story.

GOAL: The goal is a reaction of the main character to the initiating event. The goal is what the character desires or wants in the story. A character’s goal may be unstated. Also, more than one character will have goals in the story. The conflict between characters’ goals is what gets the story moving.

Important Elements in Narrative Text

Narrative Comprehension and Literary Terminology (cont.)

CONFLICT: When two character’s goals are in opposition it may create a conflict.

ATTEMPTS/ACTIONS: Each character will complete a series of attempts to reach his/her goal. The actions in the story are referred to as attempts.

OUTCOMES: Following the attempts, an outcome will occur. The outcome signals if the character has reached his/her goal. If goal success is reached, the story will end or a new goal will be set. If the outcome signals goal failure, the character may abandon the goal, make additional attempts to reach the goal, or create a new goal.

CLIMAX: In the climax one or more characters reach their goal(s).

RESOLUTION/ENDING: This is what happens in the story after the climax. Note: Resolution may or may not be the same as ending.