The Assignment Of Writing 3 (Narrative Text)

WHAT ACTUALLY NARRATIVE TEXT IS?

            Narrative is text an imaginative story to entertain people which is contain of connected events in the past. Narrative text focus in some specific participant that has several structural features which making different from other genre. At the first paragraph of the narrative text we will find a paragraph that introducing the participant, informing the time and the place in general and also introduce some characters involved, it is an orientation.

            At the second paragraph it will show the paragraph that describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with or among participants relationship in a process of social interaction or we can conclude that this paragraph is the place where the problem developed. That is what we call complication. Usually, this part can belong to more than one paragraph.

            The Paragraphs show the way of participant of solves the crises, better or worse. The end can be open ended or close ended. Open ended is a conclusion that depends in the perception of the readers. Whereas, close ended is an end of the story which the conclusion is clearly stated. It means that this paragraph is the place where the problems solved.

            Sometimes, in the end of narrative text we find a paragraph which summarize the points of the story and moral message we may get, that called as coda. Actually it is not a “must”, because coda is just an optional in narrative text.

            If we analyze from grammatical uses, Narrative text usually uses past tense, whether past perfect, past continuous, past perfect continuous or past future continuous. Check this one out For example:

Sincere Will Get a Great Return

            Once upon a time, there was a kingdom named Auretto, all people lived peacefully there. One of them was Charlita, the king’s daughter who was assumed as the most beautiful and kindest Princess of Auretto.

            One day, Charlita looked blue. Because of that her father got confused. “What’s the matter my beautiful daughter? Why are you so sad?” asked King Fernando. Charlita was just silent. She did not say anything. Then, King Fernando decided to make a competition to cheer Charlita again. After that, the palace representative announce: “I will make a competition. The aim is to make my daughter, Princess Charlita to be happy and laugh again. Everyone who can do it, will get a prize. It will be held tomorrow when the sun rises. Sign: King Fernando.”

            The following morning, everybody came to the palace, tried to give their best performance. They seemed happy and laugh, but not for Princess Charlita. She was just silent and still looked sad. King Fernando started to give up. No one amused his daughter. Then, there came a young handsome man. “Excuse me King Fernando. I would like to join your competition. But, would you mind if I took Princess Charlita for a walk?” said the young man gently. “As long as you make my daughter be happy again, it will totally alright.” said King Fernando.

…….

            From the underline words on the text above, it proved that narrative very usual use the Past Tense for the use of grammar.

HOW TO DIFFER NARRATIVE FROM OTHER GENRES?

            In narrative text stories can be very long and complicated, with many characters, elaborate plots, and subtle interpenetration of character, action, and setting. In writing that is primarily expository, however, narratives are shorter and simpler. Yeah, Narrative text is more simple and short. Most often they are factual rather than imaginary, as when an historian describes an event. And often in exposition an illustration may involve a simple narrative. Being able to tell a story, then, while not the primary concern of the expository writer, is a skill which he or she will now and again be called upon to use.

            Let’s compare Narrative with Recount Text, in narrative text the conflict is the most important element which establish the story, whereas in Recount text the conflict is not really needed, even very usual there is no conflict at all. Narrative text is not describe the series of event in detail, it is totally in general such as once upon a time, a long time ago and so on. Otherwise, Recount describes series of events in detail, for example: on Friday, April 5^th 2014.

            Actually both Narrative and Recount text are belong to tell the past experiences, but Narrative is not explains the time and places specifically. Whereas Recount presents the past experiences in order of time and place.

HOW TO WRITE A NARRATIVE TEXT?

            After we have understood about the definition and the characteristics of narrative text, of course we have to try to make a narrative for our evaluation. To write the narrative text, author must pay attention on the role of the narrative structure. Here the steps:

1.      Make an opening paragraph which contain of introduction of character, information of time and place in general. .  For example:

            One day in my life, when I was a senior high school student. I was just a common teenager who still tried to find out a self-identity. There were so many experiences which accompanied me while I was growing up as a mature-boy. I believed, all of people in this world grew up with their own experiences and most of them thought that “experiences is the best teacher”, but for me it was just a witness of life which never turned back. The truly teacher of my life was my failure. Some people said, “Failure is a part of experiences, jackass!”, “I don’t’ care, you better shut up and look after at your own life!”, My heart shouted up. But my mouth was shut with a thousand silences not only but like an old man who lost his stick.  Every failure made me stronger. “Yeah I was a result of a thousand failures”. But in the end of it, failures proved me that I was achieving a great moment from my failures. I called it as “My Affairs of a Great Moment” and My name is Nanda Habib Firdaus.

            The bold typing on the text above shows that the opening text uses the time information in general. You can put some of dialogue. The italic typing shows that was some dialogues on the text above. This opening paragraph called as ORIENTATION.

2.      After your opening paragraph built, continue with your next paragraph. It must be describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with or among participants relationship in a process of social interaction or we can conclude that this paragraph is the place where the problem developed.

For Example:

            One day, I failed to ask for my parent’s approval. I wanted to continue my study at Senior High School Of Metro, but my parents just pushed aside of my heart’s desires. “Just continue your study here, Metro is not a good choice for your attitude, it is too risky for your social gathering!”, They said while threw my hope away. “Dad, Mum, I just want to make you proud of me, I will become one of village-boy who can survive in well-known school of a metro city and get my scholarship there, believe me! I can make it!” I was begging to them. “Listen to me kids, a good student is come from the way they study, not where they from! Prove me that you can get your scholarship from a little school in the edges of city”, My parents was defending their statement. That was a very first failure in my senior high school education-career, and finally, I continued my study in Metro Kibang 1 Senior High School.

            Day by day passed so fast, I just tried to enjoy my parents’ choice. I had no choice because my parents’ happiness was always my priority. My first semester was just so, nothing was special in my daily life. Of course, a few failure were still accompanied me all the time, one of them was I failed for being first student rank in my class. In the second semester, I was starting realize that my life should be better and better again. My family waited for my real achievements whereas I was still enjoying my swings of pleasure. I decided to study harder and explore my self-actualization. I started join the English club and Science-Olympiad club, next step was joining Representative of Class Council “Majelis Perwakilan Kelas” (MPK) and I recommended by my classmates and my teachers as a leader. My adventure was begun, I became a leader of MPK in re-organization for my first year joining, my score result was highest in second semester and I was ready for my second grade. In the middle semester of second grade my school had a chance to join the International Event, Singapore-Indonesia Student Friendship Adventure Camp as known as SISFAC. Every student had a chance to join the selections, of course I joined, because I used to be went to abroad. “Singapore, a nation of Merlion, I am coming!” My spirits burned.

            Write carefully, because in this part you have to make the problems develop. If you pay attention from the text above you will get a picture how the problems develop. The problem is marked by bold typing. This paragraph is called “COMPLICATION”.

3.      On previous paragraph we have built a complication, it means that the next is make a paragraph which shows the way of participant of solves the crises, better or worse. The end can be open ended or close ended. Open ended is a conclusion that depends in the perception of the readers. Whereas, close ended is an end of the story which the conclusion is clearly stated. It means that this paragraph is the place where the problems solved. This is the RESOLUTION.

For example:

            The day of selection was passing by, I thought that I failed and my hope was left me down, but something surprised me in the end of my waiting. I passed the first selection and continued for the next selection in Jakarta. I spent seven days there. I was home with a great of pride. “My parents are right, they burn my spirit by their own way and clearly understand which one is the best for me, now I’m so greatful on their eyes, Thank you Mum, Dad!” My whisper melted down to my heart. At the last, I passed the last selection. I went to Singapore to represented My Family, village, school, province, and my nation in Singapore-Indonesia Student Friendship Adventure Camp (SISFAC). I brought a pride of nationalism as a student and I succeed to prove it.

            The underline typing shows that the problem solved on the paragraph, the paragraph must hold up all of the problems which want to solved.

4.      The last step is how to make a conclusion or CODA. Coda is a paragraph which summarizes the point of the story and moral message we may get. Check this one out:

            One more time, I was home with a pride. Everything was built by my failure which made me stronger, it never thought me how to do something, but it was showed me the time (chance) which never turned back even at once. My duty was just moving on and making a failure as a witness of the life. It was “My Affairs of a Great Moment”.

            The paragraph above is CODA or closing of the text which summarize whole text, the underline typing shows the moral message of the paragraph.

            That all about how to make a narrative text, the most important thing is pay attention for the generic structures as a limitation of our writing. So, our writing will never diverge to other genres.

EXAMPLE OF NARRATIVE TEXT

“MY AFFAIRS OF A GREAT MOMENT”

            One day in my life, when I was a senior high school student. I was just a common teenager who still tried to find out a self-identity. There were so many experiences which accompanied me while I was growing up as a mature-boy. I believed, all of people in this world grew up with their own experiences and most of them thought that “experiences is the best teacher”, but for me it was just a witness of life which never turned back. The truly teacher of my life was my failure. Some people said, “Failure is a part of experiences, jackass!”, “I don’t’ care, you better shut up and look after at your own life!”, My heart shouted up. But my mouth was shut with a thousand silences not only but like an old man who lost his stick.  Every failure made me stronger. “Yeah I was a result of a thousand failures”. But in the end of it, failures proved me that I was achieving a great moment from my failures. I called it as “My Affairs of a Great Moment” and My name is Nanda Habib Firdaus.

            One day, I failed to ask for my parent’s approval. I wanted to continue my study at Senior High School Of Metro, but my parents just pushed aside of my heart’s desires. “Just continue your study here, Metro is not a good choice for your attitude, it is too risky for your social gathering!”, They said while threw my hope away. “Dad, Mum, I just want to make you proud of me, I will become one of village-boy who can survive in well-known school of a metro city and get my scholarship there, believe me! I can make it!” I was begging to them. “Listen to me kids, a good student is come from the way they study, not where they from! Prove me that you can get your scholarship from a little school in the edges of city”, My parents was defending their statement. That was a very first failure in my senior high school education-career, and finally, I continued my study in Metro Kibang 1 Senior High School.

            Day by day passed so fast, I just tried to enjoy my parents’ choice. I had no choice because my parents’ happiness was always my priority. My first semester was just so, nothing was special in my daily life. Of course, a few failure were still accompanied me all the time, one of them was I failed for being first student rank in my class. In the second semester, I was starting realize that my life should be better and better again. My family waited for my real achievements whereas I was still enjoying my swings of pleasure. I decided to study harder and explore my self-actualization. I started join the English club and Science-Olympiad club, next step was joining Representative of Class Council “Majelis Perwakilan Kelas” (MPK) and I recommended by my classmates and my teachers as a leader. My adventure was begun, I became a leader of MPK in re-organization for my first year joining, my score result was highest in second semester and I was ready for my second grade. In the middle semester of second grade my school had a chance to join the International Event, Singapore-Indonesia Student Friendship Adventure Camp as known as SISFAC. Every student had a chance to join the selections, of course I joined, because I used to be went to abroad. “Singapore, a nation of Merlion, I am coming!” My spirits burned.

            The day of selection was passing by, I thought that I failed and my hope was left me down, but something surprised me in the end of my waiting. I passed the first selection and continued for the next selection in Jakarta. I spent seven days there. I was home with a great of pride. “My parents are right, they burn my spirit by their own way and clearly understand which one is the best for me, now I’m so greatful on their eyes, Thank you Mum, Dad!” My whisper melted down to my heart. At the last, I passed the last selection. I went to Singapore to represented My Family, village, school, province, and my nation in Singapore-Indonesia Student Friendship Adventure Camp (SISFAC). I brought a pride of nationalism as a student and I succeed to prove it.

            One more time, I was home with a pride. Everything was built by my failure which made me stronger, it never thought me how to do something, but it was showed me the time (chance) which never turned back even at once. My duty was just moving on and making a failure as a witness of the life. It was “My Affairs of a Great Moment”.

           

            The underline typing on the text above is TOPIC SENTENCE because in every underline sentence above represents the following sentences after. It means that the underline sentence become a focus of each paragraph which supported by other sentence after or we usually called as supporting sentence.