Narrative Text 1

4. NARRATIVE TEXT

Purpose: To amuse / entertain the readers and to tell a story
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation
2. Complication
3. Resolution
4. Reorientation
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Past Tense
2. Using action verb
3. Chronologically arranged

Example Narrative Text :

A.    "CINDERELLA STORY"

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Cinderella. She lived with her step mother and two step sisters.
The step mother and sisters were conceited and bad tempered. They treated Cinderella very badly. Her step mother made Cinderella do the hardest works in the house; such as scrubbing the floor, cleaning the pot and pan and preparing the food for the family. The two step sisters, on the other hand, did not work about the house. Their mother gave them many handsome dresses to wear.
One day, the two step sister received an invitation to the ball that the king’s son was going to give at the palace. They were excited about this and spent so much time choosing the dresses they would wear. At last, the day of the ball came, and away went the sisters to it. Cinderella could not help crying after they had left.
“Why are crying, Cinderella?” a voice asked. She looked up and saw her fairy godmother standing beside her, “because I want so much to go to the ball” said Cinderella. “Well” said the godmother,”you’ve been such a cheerful, hardworking, uncomplaining girl that I am going to see that you do go to the ball”.
Magically, the fairy godmother changed a pumpkin into a fine coach and mice into a coachman and two footmen. Her godmother tapped Cinderella’s raged dress with her wand, and it became a beautiful ball gown. Then she gave her a pair of pretty glass slippers. “Now, Cinderella”, she said; “You must leave before midnight”. Then away she drove in her beautiful coach.
Cinderella was having a wonderfully good time. She danced again and again with the king’s son. Suddenly the clock began to strike twelve, she ran toward the door as quickly as she could. In her hurry, one of her glass slipper was left behind.
A few days later, the king’ son proclaimed that he would marry the girl whose feet fitted the glass slipper. Her step sisters tried on the slipper but it was too small for them, no matter how hard they squeezed their toes into it. In the end, the king’s page let Cinderella try on the slipper. She stuck out her foot and the page slipped the slipper on. It fitted perfectly.
Finally, she was driven to the palace. The king’s son was overjoyed to see her again. They were married and live happily ever after.

Notes on Generic Structure of Narrative Text

Orientation: it means to introduce the participants or the characters of the story with the time and place set. Orientation actually exists in every text type though it has different term. In this story, the first paragraph is clearly seen to introduce the participants of the Cinderella Story. They were Cinderella her self as the main character of the story, her step mother which treated Cinderella badly, and her steps sister which supported her mother to make Cinderella was treated very badly. Cinderella was introduced as a hero in this story. She struggled against the bad treatment from her step mother and sisters.
Complication: it is such the crisis of the story. If there is not the crisis, the story is not a narrative text. In a long story, the complication appears in several situations. It means that some time there is more then one complication. In this Cinderella story, we can see clearly that there are Major Complication and Minor Complication.
The second paragraph is the major complication of this Cinderella story. Cinderella got bad treatment from her stepmother. It is the bad crisis which drives into several minor complications which Cinderella has to overcome.
Resolution: it is the final series of the events which happen in the story. The resolution can be good or bad. The point is that it has been accomplished by the characters. Like complication, there are Major Resolution and Minor Resolution.
In the last paragraph, it is said that finally Cinderella lived happily. It is the happy resolution of the bad treatment.

Moral Value : 

Be an honest people so you will get  your happiness

B.    Duck and Turtle

Two ducks who lived in a big lake had a friend who was a turtle. One year there was a very little rain and the lake began to dry up. One of the ducks said to the other, “Soon, there’ll be no water in this lake. Let’s go and look for lake.”
“Yes, answered the second duck, “But first let’s say good bye to our friend, the turtle.”

When they told the turtle they were going to leave, he said, “I’ll die here without any water and without any friends. Take me with you.”

-“The ducks answered, “We can’t. We are going to fly, and you have no wings.”

“The turtle thought for a minute and then said, “please wait here.”

Then he went away and found a strong, straight stick. He brought it back to his friends, put the middle of it in his mouth and said, “Now if each of you takes me one end of the stick in his mouth, you can lift me up and carry me with you.”

“ That is dangerous,” said the ducks, “if you try to talk while we’re carrying you through the air, you won’t be able to hold the stick, so you’ll fall down along way and break your shell.”

“all right,” answered the turtle, “I promise not to talk while we’re in the air. So the ducks took the stick and flew away, with the turtle between them. All went well until they were flying over a town. Then some people saw them and shouted, “Look, those ducks are carrying a cat!”The turtle got very angry, “A cat? I’m not …” he said, but he did not get any further, because when he opened his mouth, the stick came out of his mouth and the poor turtle fell to the ground.

C.       The Old Woman and The Sparrow

Once upon a time, there lived a kind hearted man and his wife. One morning, his wife found a poor little sparrow. She took it gently and fed it. To show its gratitude, the sparrow stayed with them and sang every morning. But there was an ill-tempered old woman who didn't like the sparrow. She cut the sparrow's tongue. That's why the bird flew away to its previous nest.

Knowing that their sparrow flew away, the kind man and his wife looked for the sparrow. They walked a long way, crossed the bridges, climbed the mountains and passed the woods.

At last, they could find the sparrow's nest. The sparrow welcomed them and provided a feast for them. Before they went home, the sparrow brought two baskets; one was large and looked heavy, and the other one was small and light. The sparrow asked them to choose only one. They chose the small and that was the best choice. There were many rolls of silk and piles of gold in it.

Being jealous, the ill-tempered old woman did the same thing as the kind man and his wife did. She chose the big basket which actually contained wasps and venomous crawlers, such as scorpions, centipedes, and other horrible creatures. Finally, they stung and bit her to death.

D.      Jantur and Menur

JANTUR and Menur were twins. Jantur was a boy and Menur was a girl and they had different personalities. Jantur was lazy, he got angry easily. He always said bad words when he was angry. However, Menur was a very kind, diligent, patient and always helped their parents. She always reminded her brother to behave well.
“Menur! Where are you? I’m hungry! Give me some food!” said Jantur. “Be patient Jantur I’m still cooking, the food is not ready yet. Why don't you help me mop the floor? Father and mother will be home soon,” said Menur. “Arrrgggh! What took you so long? I’m hungry, you are so slow!” said Janur. And he said bad words to Menur.

Menur was very sad. She cried. When their parents went home, Menur told them about Jantur’s bad behavior. Her father then advised him. However, Jantur did not want to listen to him. He ignored him, and it was getting worse.
Jantur asked his parents and his sister to leave the house. They were very sad. They never thought that Jantur would ask them to leave the house. After his parents and his sister left her house, Jantur lived alone. At first he felt very happy because no one disturbed him. He could do anything he wanted. He even spent his parents’ money for bad things. When all the money was gone, he sold his parents animals, cows, goats, cocks and hens. Meanwhile, Menur and her parents lived in another place. When they left home, they did not bring anything. Because they worked very hard, they could build a new home and they had new animals.
They were rich.
How about Jantur? Soon all his parents’ wealth was gone. Jantur was lazy, he did not want to work. He wanted to have much money in an easy way. So he sold the last wealth, it was the house. After Jantur sold the house, again, he spent the money foolishly. It was not surprising that Jantur became poor again.
He did not have any money and he did not have a house. His body was very thin. He suffered skin disease, his skin was full of black dots.
Jantur did not have a way to go, he just walked and walked. Finally, he arrived at his parents’ house. Menur was in front of the house sweeping the floor. At first, they did not recognize each other. Menur thought that Jantur was a beggar.
“Are you hungry? Here, I have some food,” said Menur. Jantur was happy. He was so hungry that he did not recognize his sister. However Menur knew him. “Jantur? Is that you brother? Father, mother, Jantur is here!!” screamed Menur. “Jantur my son, what happened to you?” said his mother. Jantur was surprised. “Mother, is that really you? Father, mother, and Menur! Please forgive me. I was punished by God. I suffer an illness, I’m poor, and I don’t have a house to live. I have done bad things to you all. I promise I will be good,” promised Jantur.
The family now reunited. They have already forgiven Jantur and amazingly Jantur was cured. And as he promised, Jantur became a very good man.