Understanding Narrative Texts
Understanding Narrative Texts
The primary purpose of narrative text is to amuse or entertain readers with a story . It achieves this purpose through a defined structure that includes orientation (introducing characters, setting), complication (presenting a problem), resolution (solving the problem), and sometimes optional elements like re-orientation and coda (moral value).
Specific participants refer to particular nouns used as pronouns, such as 'The king,' 'The queen,' or in this case, 'the tiger' and 'the buffalo.' In 'The Smartest Animal,' specific participants like the farmer, buffalo, and the tiger personalize the story and enhance reader engagement by detailing who is involved in the narrative .
Time connectives and conjunctions are used to sequence events in a narrative text. These include words like 'then,' 'before,' 'after,' and 'soon,' which organize the chronological flow of events within the story .
The interaction highlights the theme of intelligence over strength. The man cleverly deceives the tiger by tying him to a tree under the pretext of fetching his intelligence, then demonstrates his 'intelligence' by hitting the tiger. The moral lesson emphasized here is that intelligence is more effective than brute force, as the man outsmarts the stronger animal .
The social function of narrative text is to entertain readers with a story. This entertainment aspect is derived from a structured presentation of events, characters, and moral lessons that engage the audience emotionally and intellectually .
Narrative texts utilize direct and indirect speech to convey interactions between characters vividly. In 'The Smartest Animal,' dialogues like the tiger asking the buffalo about the man's intelligence and conversing with the man illustrate direct communication, adding layers to character development and plot progression .
The narrative uses past tense throughout to convey the sequence of historical events. Verbs such as 'ploughed,' 'saw,' 'wanted,' and 'tied' describe actions completed in the past, which maintains the narrative momentum and situates the events in the past .
Authors may use narrative texts to convey moral values as stories can illustrate ethical dilemmas and resolutions in a relatable and engaging manner. These values are communicated through character actions and consequences, as seen in the resolution phase where conflicts are addressed, often culminating in a moral lesson or ‘coda’ that reinforces the intended value to the audience .
Complication introduces conflict or problems that require resolution, thereby creating suspense and interest. In 'The Smartest Animal,' the complication arises when the tiger questions the buffalo's obedience to the smaller man, leading to a tension-filled inquiry about intelligence. This curiosity-driven conflict engages readers and drives the narrative toward its eventual resolution .
'The Smartest Animal' can be classified as a fable due to its use of anthropomorphic animals (the tiger and the buffalo), which is a common characteristic of fables. These animals symbolize human traits such as intelligence and strength, and the narrative imparts a moral lesson, a classic feature of fables .





