NARRATIVE TEXT

Narrative text is a text to entertain, to gain and hold a reader’s interest. It’s usually like a fable, myth, legend, folklore, etc. However narrative can be also written to teach or inform, to change attitudes/social opinion.

The Generic Structure :

a. Orientation : Sets the scene and introduces the participants.

b. Complication : A crisis arises.

c. Resolution : The crisis is resolved, for better or for worse.

d. Re-orientation : (optional)

The Typical Elements :

a. Setting : When and where the story occurs.

b. Characters : The most important people or characters in the story.

c. Initiating Event : An action or occurrence that establishes a problem and/or goal.

d. Conflict : The focal point around which the whole story is organized.

e. Events : One or more attempts by the main character(s) to achieve the goal or solve the problem.

f. Resolution : The outcome of the attempts to achieve the goal or solve the problem.

g. Theme : The main idea or moral of the story.

The Characteristics of Narrative Text :

a. Using the Simple Past Tense.

b. It’s started with adverb, such as long time ago, once upon a time, in a faraway land, etc.

c. Using the conjunctions, such as then, after, that, before, etc.

The example of narrative text :

The Story of Sangkuriang and Tangkuban Perahu Mountain

Once, there was a kingdom in Priangan Land. Lived a happy family. They were a father in form of dog,his name is Tumang, a mother which was called is Dayang Sumbi, and a child which was called Sangkuriang.
One day, Dayang Sumbi asked her son to go hunting with his lovely dog, Tumang. After hunting all day, Sangkuriang began desperate and worried because he hunted no deer. Then he thought to shot his own dog. Then he took the dog liver and carried home.

Soon Dayang Sumbi found out that it was not deer lever but Tumang's, his own dog. So, She was very angry and hit Sangkuriang's head. In that incident, Sangkuriang got wounded and scar then cast away from their home.

Years go bye, Sangkuriang had travel many places and finally arrived at a village. He met a beautiful woman and felt in love with her. When they were discussing their wedding plans, The woman looked at the wound in Sangkuriang's head. It matched to her son's wound who had left severall years earlier. Soon she realized that she felt in love with her own son.

She couldn't marry him but how to say it. Then, she found the way. She needed a lake and a boat for celebrating their wedding day. Sangkuriang had to make them in one night. He built a lake. With a dawn just moment away and the boat was almost complete. Dayang Sumbi had to stop it. Then, she lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. It made the cock crowed for a new day.
Sangkuriang failed to marry her. She was very angry and kicked the boat. It felt over and became the mountain of Tangkuban Perahu Bandung.