Reading Comprehension:

Types of Texts UNIT 3 NARRATIVE TEXT

Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Features of Narrative Texts
3.3 Structure of Narrative Texts
3.4 Narrative Text Sample
3.4.1 Sample
3.4.2 Understanding structure and explanation
3.4.3 Probable questions
3.5 Reading Strategies
3.6 Practice Texts
3.7 Let Us Sum Up
3.8 Suggested Readings
3.9 Answers

3.0 OBJECTIVES
Narration is the basis of any form of story-telling. Any time the act of telling a
story takes place, the key aspect of it is the narration. The comprehension of a
narrative text would then entail the act of identifying the modes of narration. If
the purpose or the thesis statement of narration is understood, the text would be
comprehended. Comprehension is indispensable to the very act of reading. When
you read without comprehension, the act is rendered redundant.

The aim of this Unit is to make you proficient in skills of reading, by walking
you through the reading strategies and help you practice. You will be able to read
with precision and technical expertise. This Unit will also aid you in categorizing
the basis of ‘Narrative’ writing. Specific features of Narrative texts would be
analyzed and understood. You will be able to monitor your own growth in the act
of comprehension.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Narrative text is writing that tells a story. It can be a made-up story (fiction) or
one that is based on real events. To narrate is the verb used to describe the act of
telling a story, so a narrative is the story and the narrator is the person telling the
story. There can be factual as well as fictional narratives, descriptive as well as
argumentative narratives. In a way, narrative writing can encapsulate a variety
of purposes to its creation. A factual write up will be close to reality while fiction
can take liberties to change the facts even though it would be based on reality.
Imagination is key in a fictional narrative. Creativity plays a crucial role in both
fiction and non-fiction narratives as ‘how you tell a story’ ensures the effect you
wish to have on your readers.

Dr. Rahmad Husein and Dr. Anni Holila Pulungan write: “The social function of
narrative genre is to tell a story. The story is commonly constituted by a number
42
of events in which it is found that something goes wrong. The wrong side of the Narrative Text
event leads to a stage, which is one with great suspense called a crisis or climax
in the story. The story then stages a solution to the problem in the climax. A
narrative ends with a solution, either with a happy or sad ending.

Society is dynamic in the sense that the society is faced to evolution where things
happen and the happenings become the causes to the next events and so forth.
The events attract attentions of human beings as members of the society. As a
way of preserving the events, human beings record them either in oral or written
mode and stage them in stories called narratives. The narratives are passed on
from persons to other persons, from one generation to other generations and
from one time to another. Consequently, there have been, are and will be stories
or narratives in the society. As the stories form in the society, they reflect socio-
cultural heritages. The value of narratives is that they indicate views, attitudes or
aspirations of the society. In this way, narrative is regarded as the preservation of
culture. Thus, they prevail, remain and maintained in the society.”

You as a reader would then have to identify the narrative styles for the purpose
of understanding why the text has been written or a narrative mode assumed.
The reason for conveyance of a message can be understood by identifying the
narrative text, which helps in the act of comprehension. Non-fiction narrative
examples are memoirs, biographies, periodicals and magazines while fictional
narratives are novels and short stories.

3.2 FEATURES OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

The narrative text can be broken down into a few important parts and the features
of this kind of writing are:

a) Theme: The theme of any text is the big main idea that the text is about.
Ask yourself the question, “What is this text/essay about?” and the answer
to that question will sum up the theme of the writing. You shouldn’t confuse
the theme with a ‘subject’ line. Thematic ideas of a text are closer to the
thesis statement. It discusses the very purpose for writing. The ‘subject’
acts as the basis for the beginning of a literary work but the theme decides
its purpose and answers the question “Why”. If the subject of a text is
‘war’ then its theme would be the opinion which the narrative would
establish; that war is a necessity for society, or a curse, or unavoidable etc.

b) Setting: Consider the time and place where your narrative is set in; this
becomes the setting of the text. It is usually found in novels, short stories,
plays and films. The setting can be introduced right in the onset of the text
or can be discovered slowly as the narrative develops. The setting establishes
the mood and tone that the writer is intending to set for a passage. As a
reader, it becomes your job to understand what tone is being set and why.
It gives a limit to the possibilities of the action that the characters’ lives
can indulge in. This helps in engaging the readers into the story. If the
setting of a story changes, so does the evolution of the story along with it.
Setting becomes an important narrative mode for the story. It enables a
definition of the time and space of the text.

As a reader of the narrative essay, you should be watchful of the above-

mentioned aspects of the setting of an essay. If you are able to identify the 43
Reading Comprehension: setting, you can then proceed to comprehend the role it plays in for the
Types of Texts
writer. It enables you to decipher why a certain setting has been chosen
and to what end. It helps in analysis and furthers the prospect of
comprehension.

c) Characters: Each narrative has characters and people who comprise the
contents of the narrative. For a narrative essay, a character maybe ‘you’ as
you tell your story of the first day at college, or the new ‘pen’ that you
received as a gift from your favorite teacher. The characters could be
inanimate or lively. The main feature would be to keep the character at the
center of your narrative. The character would be what your story is about.
If you are asked to write or read a narrative essay on a place or a setting
like ‘Delhi – my first love’ then that place becomes your character.

As you read such an essay for the purpose of comprehension, you will be
trying to trace the characters of the narrative. If you manage to find them,
you will then proceed to judge the qualities of the characters that have
been listed by the writer. What qualities have been bestowed on the character
can help you understand the perspective of the writer. It would then help
you to further ask questions of how or why certain characters have been
given their respective characteristics. This would aid in the process of
comprehension and analysis.

d) Point of view: There are three points of view that encapsulate any form of
writing. The first person, second- and third-person narrative. “First Person
–the story is told from the main character’s point of view and uses the
pronouns “I” and “we”. Second Person-usually for instructions; uses the
pronouns “you” and “your” (the author is speaking to the reader). Third
Person –the story is told from an outside point of view and uses the pronouns
‘he’, ‘it’, ‘she’ and ‘they’.” For a narrative text, the first-person narrative is
usually preferred. It helps in the process of narration as the story seems to
arrive from personal experiences.

When reading a narrative text, if you identify the perspective or the point
of the view of the writer, then again, you can ascertain the purpose of that
point of view. A first-person narrative may be used for a more personal
view than the third person. After having understood the points of view of
the narration, you can comprehend the passages better.

e) Plot: Richard Nordquist in an article writes “Every story that you read
follows a series of events that range from the introduction of a conflict to
begin the story and a final resolution at the end; this is the plot of your
story. Basically, it’s what happens throughout the narrative, and it appears
in both fiction and non-fiction work. When you write a plot summary,
you’ll essentially condense a novel into a short essay, touching on the key
points of the material. You’ll want to introduce the main characters, setting
of the story, and the main conflict of the narrative, including the five basic
components of the plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action,
and finally, a resolution. Some outlines will break down a plot into more
segments (exposition, inciting incident, central conflict, rising action,
climax, falling action, resolution) but the premise is the same - a pattern of
rising and falling action that looks essentially like an arc or a bell curve
when you consider the level of drama the characters experience.”
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 Narrative Text

A Plot according to E.M Forster answers the ‘why’ of the story. If ‘the King died
and the Queen died’ is a story then the ‘King died and the Queen died in grief of
the king dying’ is the plot point. Accordingly, the reasoning for the story consists
of minute details. The elements that contribute to a sound plot are as follows:

i) Exposition: It is that part of the plot which appears at the beginning of the
story. It introduces the reader to the main characters, setting, mood, and
background information to the story. This may give out subtle interesting
facts about the character and the core of the character’s emotional side. It
allows the reader to connect with the characters that would be developed
over the course of the whole story. For instance, in the Disney film Finding
Nemo, it begins with the background information which helps the audience
understand the characters and situations better. Characters of Marlin and
Nemo are introduced and audience also learns about Coral’s death and
that, after that, Marlin has been an overprotective father. Exposition is
done through dialogues, narration, internal monologue, devices like
newspaper clippings, letters, emails etc. Exposition statement is the part of
the plot that tells how the story begins including aspects of the text like
characters, setting, conflict (problem), and background information.
Exposition is a form of writing that explains what’s happening or has
happened in the story in a very matter-of-fact way. Exposition may present
background information of the plot or characters, explain details about the
setting, convey a sense of the historical context, and so on. Authors are
45
Reading Comprehension: often counseled to keep exposition to a minimum so as not to bore the
Types of Texts
reader or at least to include exposition in such a way that it doesn’t bog
down the story. However, exposition is a necessary part of almost all stories
as a way to convey important information.

(ii) Conflict: After the introduction of the story, we are introduced to the
problems within the story. This takes forward the plot as it is this struggle
between the opposing forces that the individual goes through or tries to
solve. It supplies tension in the story. This can be of various types: a)
Individual vs Individual: This type of conflict refers to the struggle between
two individuals mostly the protagonist and antagonist, the two who have
opposing goals or qualities or the conflict could be in any relationship like
a husband and a wife, a parent and a child or two friends. b) Individual vs
Society: This type of conflict is usually between an individual in opposition
to the society and its code and conduct. Here, there is a clash between the
societal norms and the character. c) Individual vs Nature: This refers to the
conflict between character and the environment like natural disasters. d)
Individual vs Self: Another kind of conflict refers to the inner demons of
the characters themselves. The character here is not in conflict with any
external element but an internal one. This may spring from fear, self-doubt
and could be self-destructive as well. This part of the plot is important
because the presence of conflict in the story leads to change. It is when the
characters go through these adversities/ problems, their character develops,
gains insight and strengths. They grow and change with the story.

iii) Rising Action: After the exposition (where the background information
and the character is introduced) and conflict (where the struggle of the
protagonist is introduced), rising action refers to the series of events that
unfold and the situations that the character goes through to deal with or
resolve the conflict. It creates suspense and tension in the narrative. It also
includes the decisions, action, inaction and character flaws of the
protagonist. The rising action leads to the most important part in a narrative
i.e. Climax.

iv) Climax: It is the most crucial point or the turning point in the narrative. It
is also seen as the most exciting part of the story. Usually, in the climax the
character faces the conflict and there is a change in the character. It is the
point of crisis in the narrative. For example, in Cinderella’s story, when
the clock strikes midnight and Cinderella has to leave and in a hurry leaves
her glass shoe behind. This is the Climax.

v) Falling Action: Falling Action refers to the tying of all loose ends in the
narrative. All the problems are solved and conflict resolved. It happens as
a result of the climax wherein all the questions posed are answered and the
plot is wrapped up. At times, the narrative does not provide you with any
falling action.

vi) Resolution: Resolution in a narrative completes the story. It may or may

not be a happy one always but it provides a sense of closure in the end.
However, it may leave certain questions, thoughts, emotions in the reader.

You need to identify these features while reading a narrative text. These are also
known as story elements. They will not only help you in identifying the narrative
46
type of essay but understanding these will also help you in comprehending the Narrative Text
text.
Let us now look at the organization of Narrative Texts.

3.3 STRUCTURE OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

It is imperative for you to understand how the elements studied in the previous
section are organized into a text. A narrative text is one which tells a story. It has
a beginning, middle and end. It introduces the reader to a character, the situations,
setting; divulges all the details through action and then concludes with an outcome.
This type of text can be broadly staged into: Orientation, Complication and
Resolution.

i) Orientation: As the name suggests, it refers to the introduction or the

beginning of the narrative text where the character and setting are introduced
to the reader. The Who and What of the story usually appears in the first
paragraph of this text. This Introduction can further be divided into three
parts: Hook, Background and Thesis. Hook refers to the opening of the
narrative where an interesting fact or a surprising element is used. It could
be a shocking statistic, a question or a quote. The purpose is to attract the
reader’s attention. It is the first sentence of the essay. Next, you are given
the background to the character and the situation you are put into. You
learn about events that have happened before the action. After this history,
the thesis statement in this type of essay provides you with the real action
of the story. Of course, you do not get to know the entire story here but just
a hint. By the end of this Orientation you know the character, the situation,
the history and you know the present problem at hand. This part in the text
consists of elements of Exposition and Conflict.

ii) Complication: It contains emergence of crises that would need to be

resolved. It takes care of the main story and the events unfold here. In
these Body paragraphs, the greater detail to all the action, inaction and the
situation is given which grants a life to the story. The situation paragraph
describes what happens in the story, how it happens and why it is happening.
It is presented step by step in the text. The second Body paragraph is
dedicated to the story element of Rising Action where the story is further
developed leading to the last body paragraph in a narrative text, Climax.
Climax is the height of the action which sometimes comes across as a
surprising turn of events within the story.

iii) Resolution: This part of the narrative structure is the conclusion of the
text which includes Falling Action and Resolution story elements. It is
also sometimes referred to as anti-climax. The conflict is resolved here
and it shows how the character solves the problem posed in the introduction
paragraph of the text. The concluding paragraph shows what happens after
the main event and how the problem is solved.

iv) Coda: The last part of the narrative structure is known as Coda/Re-
orientation. It contains the lesson learnt after the entire story and the
resolution. It also presents a change in the character after going through
the entire journey from conflict to resolution. Please remember it may be a
good/happy ending or a bad/sad ending. It could also be a resolution that
47
Reading Comprehension: the writer reaches and how it changed the writer in this process. However,
Types of Texts
this closing remark is optional in a narrative text depending on the aim of
the writer and if the writer wants to leave the audience with a moral lesson
at the end of the tale.

3.4 NARRATIVE TEXT SAMPLE

3.4.1 Sample
We arrived much late at night. As we were approaching the house, we heard
dogs barking in the darkness. Cecil and Frank felt scared as the wind was
blowing from the mountain forest. The night air was extremely cold and damp
in that late horrible winter. We were only few metres from the huge house
when we heard shootings from behind. Three stout officers in Nazi uniform
appeared and one of them asked us to produce our ID cards. Cecil and I were
frozen to scares. Calmly Frank showed his ID card and the three tough men in
their military uniform saluted at us. They let us go. Frank waved his hand and
the three men disappeared in the darkness followed by the dogs barking. We
were safe to pass through the most dangerous check point at the border. I will
never forget that horrible and threatening night.

Source: [Link]
[Link]

3.4.2 Understanding structure and explanation

The above passage can be identified as a narrative text. Some elements which
can be found are the progress of a story from a set up to conflict to resolution
towards the end. The first few sentences “We arrived much late at night. As we
were approaching the house, we heard dogs barking in the darkness. Cecil and
Frank felt scared as the wind was blowing from the mountain forest. The night
air was extremely cold and damp in that late horrible winter.” set up the tone for
the narrative. The first sentence can be attributed to be the hook. ‘Hook’ is used
to begin a story and draw in your interest, just as the name suggests. It is meant
to keep the reader ‘hooked’ to read further. The first section will also set up the
thesis statement. A thesis statement is that which explains in detail what the
essay is about. The story being told has multiple people as can be found in the
pronoun “we”. The time has been set at ‘late at night’ which gives the passage a
dull undertone. “dogs barking” adds further to the tone of eeriness. By informing
us that two characters were scared we are informed that this is a situation which
is meant to invoke fear in the reader. A detailed description of the night air, of the
setting and of the general mood of the passage has been set by the exposition.

Let us look at the next few sentences. “We were only few metres from the huge
house when we heard shootings from behind. Three stout officers in Nazi uniform
appeared and one of them asked us to produce our ID cards. Cecil and I were
frozen to scares.” This section can be identified to be consisting of ‘rising action’
and ‘conflict’ at the same time. The ‘hearing of shooting’ establishes the first
onset into tension. It invites a probable promise of either a resolution or a
destruction that is to ensue as the passage goes on. As the writer writes that they
were frozen when the police officer comes to check on them, it establishes the
tension which needs to be addressed in the next few lines. It creates a sense of
48 suspense which leaves you, the reader to compellingly read on in order to find
out what happens. This section can also be attributed to be a part of the ‘body’ of Narrative Text
the text. The body comprises of the tension, and conflict which would later find
resolution.

The next section reads as “Calmly Frank showed his ID card and the three tough
men in their military uniform saluted at us. They let us go. Frank waved his hand
and the three men disappeared in the darkness followed by the dogs barking.”
This sums up to be a concluding section of the text. This section not only gives
you climax and a resolution but also a glimpse into the character of Frank, one of
the characters. Falling action can be identified as the time when Frank calmly
shows his ID card and then one can find a final resolution in the next few lines.
“We were safe to pass through the most dangerous check point at the border. I
will never forget that horrible and threatening night.” It gives an end to not only
the exposition but also resolves the point of tension.

Understanding all these aspects of the narrative passage, you will be able to
answer questions provided to you.
Let us now look at some probable questions:

3.4.3 Probable Questions

There are six kinds of fixed questions which are asked when trying to test the
comprehension skills of the student.
a) Vocabulary based questions: where the meanings of particular words in
the text, their antonyms, and synonyms are asked.
b) Direct questions: where the question requires an answer given directly as
it is in the text.
c) Interpretative and analytic questions: where inferences need to be drawn
from the given text.
d) Main idea: where the reader’s ability to comprehend the overall idea of the
text is questioned.
e) Supporting ideas: where the detailed information supporting the main idea
is asked.
f) Narrative structure, style and tone: where specific structural technicalities
like the thesis statement, introduction, body and conclusion are looked at.
Sample Questions
1) Give the meaning of the word ‘stout’ from the above passages.
2) At what time is the narrative set in?
3) What would be the purpose of choosing the setting as night time for the
narrative?
4) Explain the encounter the author goes through one late night evening.
5) Why was the writer scared?
6) What category of writing would you find the above passage in?
Let us look at the answers
1) The word ‘stout’ has come in context to the Nazi army men. It can be used
to describe a negative aspect of the men through a reference to ‘bulk’ of the men. 49
Reading Comprehension: 2) The narrative is set in the late night time.
Types of Texts
3) The setting of the late night time enables a direction towards the morbid
and the fearful. It helps create an ambience of tension and suspense and
renders the reader suspecting of what is to happen.

4) The author of the passage narrates a time when he or she gets caught up
with Nazi officials. The author is out late at night with another man called
Frank and gets tensed at meeting the officials. Yet after showing an ID
card, they give a sigh of relief and move on. It is a scary memory of the
writer which she or he is unable to forget. The author in the passage tries to
convey the details of a fearful night that is instilled in his or her memory
forever.

5) The writer might not have been following the rules or was nervous due to
the lofty and massive nature of the Nazi officials. She or he gets nervous
when stopped by an authority figure as they start introspecting and
wondering if they would be caught for an unforeseen matter, yet when that
does not happen and they are let off, he or she begins to relax. The fear that
they felt on the day however still exists.

6) The above passage fits perfectly in to the narrative mode of writing. It has
the structural design of a narrative text. It has the following elements:
exposition, rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, resolution and
hence can be called a narrative text.

3.5 READING STRATEGIES

Skimming and Scanning
In order to get a general overview of the text, you will need to employ certain
reading strategies. The processes of skimming and scanning allow you to do the
same. When you read for the purpose of attaining an overall impression of the
text, the process is called “Skimming”. It employs reading the title first, and then
quickly making way through the introduction or merely the first paragraph. You
can then move through the first and last line of each paragraph, ultimately
absorbing the whole of the conclusion. You will also need to notice certain
pictures, charts or graphs if any. This is a quick strategy to attain a general idea
of the whole text.

Scanning should be used when you need to get a detailed understanding of the
contents of the text. It employs a longer duration, as specific details of the content
need to be understood and made note of in order to understand the text. As you
would have already used the skimming technique, you will have a background
to what the text is about. The process of scanning becomes easier thereafter. In
order to scan, you should first know what information to look for, is it a date? an
adjective? a synonym? or a factual number? Accordingly, you will be going
through your text, looking for that particular information. It employs a selective
reading, which enables you to concentrate only on the piece of information you
are looking for.

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 Narrative Text
3.6 PRACTICE TEXTS
1) The sage of science, Einstein, was sitting in a depressive and pensive
mood one evening. His eyes were brimming with tears. The pain was
evident on his face. He peeped out of the window of his room. The sun
had set a few minutes back. The sky was filled with a reddish glow. At
this sunset, he felt that it was humanity that had sunk into devilish darkness
and the reddish glow in the sky was the blood of humanity spilling all
over the sky from earth. With tired steps, he walked back to his chair and
settled down. It was the 9th of August 1945. Three days back, he had felt
the same agony as if someone had torn him apart. He was deeply hurt and
depressed when they heard on the radio that America had dropped an
atom bomb on the Japanese city, Hiroshima. Today, within three days
another bomb was dropped on another city, Nagasaki and lakhs of people
had been killed.

2) He had heard that the blast released so much energy that it had paled all
past destructions in comparison and death had played out a pitiable dance
of destruction. The flames that broke out of the bomb were burning, melting
and exploding buildings. Scared of the heat of the bomb, people had
jumped into lakes and rivers, but the water was boiling and the people too
were burnt and killed. The animals in the water were already boiled to
death. Animals, trees, herbs, fragrant flowering plants were all turned
into ashes. The atomic energy destruction had just not stopped there. It
had entered the atmosphere there and had spread radiation that would
affect people for generation to come and would also bring about destructive
irreversible biological changes in animals and plants.

3) As the news of the atomic attack reached Einstein, and he became aware
of the glaring horror of the abuse of atomic energy, his distress and
restlessness knew no bounds. He could not control himself and picked up
his violin to turn his mind on the other things. While playing the violin,
he tried to dissolve in its sad notes, but couldn’t. He was burning on the
embers of destruction; his heart was filled with an ocean of agony and
tears just continued streaming uncontrollably out of his eyes. Night had
fallen. His daughter came up and asked him to eat something as he had
not taken anything for the last four days. His voice was restrained and he
said, “don’t feel like eating.”

4) He could not sleep that night. Lying down, he was thinking how he had
drawn the attention of the then American President Roosevelt towards
the destructive powers of an atomic bomb. He had thought that this would
be used to scare Hitler and put an end to the barbarism that. However,
Roosevelt kept him in the dark and made false promises. Eventually, he
had abused Einstein’s equation of E= mc2 that resulted in the destructive
experiments. His actions had made science and scientists as murderers.
Einstein kept on thinking for a long time. Eventually, he slipped into sleep.
When he woke up at dawn, there was a new dawn in him too. The atomic
threat had transformed his heart.

5) The next day, he decided to disassociate himself from the scientific policy
of the government and all governmental institutions. He decided to open
51
Reading Comprehension:
Types of Texts educational institutions for children, adolescents and youth – institutions
where along with science, spirituality will be compulsorily taught.

6) To inaugurate this institution, he had invited two great philosophers,

Bertrand Russell and Albert Schweitzer. Ten other great scientists who
had won Nobel Prizes in different fields were also invited. They all saw a
different Einstein, not a great scientist but a sage in him. The institution
was opened by garlanding a photo of Mahatma Gandhi. While garlanding
the Mahatma, he became emotional and said with a lump in his throat, “I
bow down to the great man who fought for the independence of his country
through non-violence. He could do so because he was a truthful man and
true spiritualist.”

7) Those who teach science should be taught spirituality too. Without

harmony between science and spirituality, the destruction would continue
unabated. A few years after this institution was built, a Japanese delegation
came to meet him. Einstein broke down in the meeting and said, “You
can give me any punishment and I will accept it. Anyway, I have decided
to lead my life in penitence.” The Japanese were moved by his sincerity
and forgot their grief.

(Source: [Link]
class-12-2019-english-all-india(set-3)—solutions/board-papers/starttest/
fZs8$lbcl1ofruFYCN08ew!!)

Check Your Progress 1

Answer the following questions based on your reading of the above passage.

1) Besides two great philosophers how many other scientists were invited by
Einstein to inaugurate the institution where spirituality would be
compulsorily taught?

i) Five (ii) Ten (iii) Eight (iv) Fifteen

2) Which musical instrument did Einstein play when he was in grief?

i) Harmonium (ii) Guitar (iii) Violin (iv) Flute

3) Einstein came to know that America had dropped an atom bomb on the
Japanese city, Hiroshima through

i) Television. (ii) Newspaper. (iii) Radio. (iv) A telephonic message.

4) Which American President was told about the destructive power of an

atomic bomb?
(i) Kennedy (ii) Bill Clinton (iii) Lincoln (iv) Roosevelt
5) Einstein said to the Japanese delegation:
i) “You can give me any punishment and I will accept it.”
ii) “I am not at fault.”
iii) “What could I do?”
iv) “The President didn’t agree to my advice.”
52
6) What did Einstein do to overcome his distress after getting the news of the Narrative Text
atomic attack?
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7) Which event in 1945, according to Einstein, turned science and scientists

into murderers?
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8) What did Einstein do to show his displeasure over the atomic attack?
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9) Why did Einstein want harmony between science and spirituality while
teaching in educational institutes?
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10) Which word / phrase means the same as:

i) Extreme mental pain (para 1)
ii) repentance (para 7)

53
Reading Comprehension:
Types of Texts The Rescue
Everything had been totally different that Sunday morning, when the two
boys had set out on their walk up the cool, pine-scented mountainside near
the village where they lived. Near the top, Peter and Michael had climbed
onto a rock to admire the view of the valley far below them.

That was when disaster had struck. On clambering down, Peter had tumbled
awkwardly to the ground, his leg bent at a painful angle beneath him. Unable
to move, he was forced to wait where he was, wrapped in Michael’s jacket,
while Michael had begun the long trek down the mountainside to fetch help.

Michael looked down on the mountainside from the window of the helicopter.
He felt increasingly helpless, as it looked totally different from the air and
the network of tiny paths was mostly obscured from view by the thick covering
of pine trees. To make matters worse, the light was fading fast and a thick
blanket of mist was starting to form. Eventually the pilot and the three
mountain rescue workers in the helicopter agreed that they would have to go
back and continue the search for Michael’s friend, Peter, on foot.

By seven o’clock that evening, they had left the helicopter in the village and
gathered a mountain rescue team of fifteen men. Michael felt disheartened
and scared for his friend’s safety. Slowly they ascended the mountain, scouring
the numerous paths for Peter. The only sounds were crunching footsteps and
the crackle of static on the walkie-talkies that the rescue workers carried to
talk to each other. The mountainside was an eerie place after nightfall and
gradually Michael started to wonder whether they would ever find Peter at
all. Suddenly Michael heard a voice come over one of the walkie-talkies,
“We’ve got him. We’re taking him down.”

“I’m sorry,” said Michael to his friend later in the warm safety of the hospital
room, “I didn’t realise it would take so long.”

(Source:[Link]
12/[Link])

Check Your Progress 2

Answer the following questions based on your reading of the above passage.

1) Find a word from the above passage which means ‘Strange and Frightening’.
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2) Who needs rescuing in the above passage and why?

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3) Is the title justified according to you? Narrative Text

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4) By what time, did they bring in the Helicopter?

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Excerpt from Charles Dickens’ The Chimes, first published in 1844

The doctors decided to keep Peter at the hospital for the night in case of
complications with his leg. Before leaving, Michael looked down at his friend
and patted his shoulder as, silently, they both vowed never to go walking in
the mountains again.

The letter Toby had received from Alderman Cute was addressed to a great
man in the great district of the town. It must have been the greatest district of
the town, because it was commonly called ‘the world’ by its inhabitants. The
letter positively seemed heavier in Toby’s hand than another letter. Not because
the Alderman had sealed it with a very large coat of arms and no end of wax,
but because of the weighty name on the superscription and the ponderous
amount of gold and silver with which it was associated.

‘How different from us!’ thought Toby, in all simplicity and earnestness,
as he looked at the direction.

With the involuntary homage due to such an exalted character, Toby interposed
a corner of his apron between the letter and his fingers.

It was a hard frost, that day. The air was bracing, crisp, and clear. The wintry
sun, though powerless for warmth, looked brightly down upon the ice it was
too weak to melt, and set a radiant glory there. At other times, Toby might
have learned a poor man’s lesson from the wintry sun; but he was past that,
now.

The Year was Old, that day. The patient Year had lived through the reproaches
and misuses of its slanderers, and faithfully performed its work. Spring,
summer, autumn, winter. It had labored through the destined round, and now
laid down its weary head to die. Shut out from hope, high impulse, active
happiness, itself, but active messenger of many joys to others, it made appeal
in its decline to have its toiling days and patient hours remembered, and to
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Reading Comprehension:
Types of Texts die in peace. Toby might have read a poor man’s allegory in the fading year;
but he was past that, now.

And only he? Or has the like appeal been ever made, by seventy years at
once upon an English laborer’s head, and made in vain!

The streets were full of motion, and the shops were decked out gaily. The
New Year, like an Infant Heir to the whole world, was waited for, with
welcomes, presents, and rejoicings. There were books and toys for the New
Year, glittering trinkets for the New Year, dresses for the New Year, schemes
of fortune for the New Year, new inventions to beguile it. Its life was parceled
out in almanacs and pocketbooks; the coming of its moons, and stars, and
tides, was known beforehand to the moment; all the workings of its seasons
in their days and nights, were calculated with as much precision as Mr. Filer
could work sums in men and women.

The New Year, the New Year. Everywhere the New Year! The Old Year was
already looked upon as dead; and its effects were selling cheap, like some
drowned mariner’s aboardship. Its patterns were Last Year’s, and going at a
sacrifice, before its breath was gone. Its treasures were mere dirt, beside the
riches of its unborn successor!

Toby had no portion, to his thinking, in the New Year or the Old.

‘Put ’em down, Put ’em down! Facts and Figures, Facts and Figures! Good
old Times, Good old Times! Put ’em down, Put ’em down!’—his trot went to
that measure, and would fit itself to nothing else.

But, even that one, melancholy as it was, brought him, in due time, to the end
of his journey. To the mansion of Sir Joseph Bowley, Member of Parliament.

The door was opened by a Porter. Such a Porter! Not of Toby’s order—quite
another thing. His place was the ticket though; not Toby’s.

This Porter underwent some hard panting before he could speak; having
breathed himself by coming incautiously out of his chair, without first taking
time to think about it and compose his mind. When he had found his voice—
which it took him a long time to do, for it was a long way off, and hidden
under a load of meat—he said in a fat whisper,
‘Who’s it from?’
Toby told him.
‘You’re to take it in, yourself,’ said the Porter, pointing to a room at the end
of a long passage, opening from the hall. ‘Everything goes straight in, on this
day of the year. You’re not a bit too soon; for the carriage is at the door now,
and they have only come to town for a couple of hours, a’ purpose.’

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 Narrative Text
Check Your Progress 3
Answer the following questions based on your reading of the above passage.
1) Based on the information in the passage, Toby likely views his duties with
a) industriousness and enthusiasm.
b) annoyance and frustration.
c) fear and anxiety.
d) amusement and exhilaration.
2) Toby most likely feels that the difference between himself and the recipient
of the letter is due to
a) education
b) wealth
c) religion
d) parenting
3) In the first paragraph, the phrase “positively seemed heavier” is used to
indicate that
a) the letter was thicker than most others.
b) the sender used too much wax for the seal.
c) the letter appeared extremely important to Toby.
d) the envelope was made of high quality gold paper.
4) The author uses which of the following devices when describing the year
in the fifth paragraph?
a) Allegory
b) Personification
c) Simile
d) Onomatopoeia
5) Which of the following best describes the scenes that Toby encounters on
his journey?
a) A bleak winter wasteland with hardly any human activity
b) A busy city landscape coming to life in the budding springtime
c) Streets and shops bustling despite the intense cold
d) Stormy roads through which Toby can barely see
6) The passage indicates that the porter is out of breath because he
a) is an elderly and ailing gentleman.
b) is frightened of Toby and the news that he brings.
c) rose too quickly to answer the door.
d) overextends himself and is always busy.
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Reading Comprehension: 7) Over the course of the passage, Toby reveals that he views himself as
Types of Texts
a) decidedly separate from the world of Sir Joseph Bowley, including
even his servants.
b) on par in status with the porter of Sir Joseph Bowley, though not the
lord himself.
c) blissfully ignorant of any class distinctions that separate him from Sir
Joseph Bowley.
d) superior in character if not in status to Sir Joseph Bowley, his porter,
and his household.
8) Winter: old age:
a) autumn: middle age
b) rebirth: spring
c) New Year: change
d) Summer: warmth

3.7 LET US SUM UP

Narrative texts are concerned with telling a story by keeping a pace and structure
intact through vivid language use. Your job is to identify these details and infer
the correct sequence of actions and other elements of the text like characters,
setting, timeline, etc., which might originally have been interpreted by the writer.
Before arriving at analysis, it is important that you fully understand the text and
its contents. Once the step of comprehension is complete, only then would you
be shifting gears to question the writing choices of the author and how or why
they have been employed.

For a narrative text, try identifying the theme, setting, characters if any, the point
of view of the author, as well as the structure of the plot. Once these aspects of
the text have been spotted, you will be able to achieve a precise understanding of
the text. The plot structure will have a certain progression where a conflict will
be created and ultimately resolved through a specific treatment by the author.
You will need to track this conflict, the climax and its subsequent resolution.
Only then will you be able to analyze the text. The Skimming and Scanning
methods will provide you the tools for comprehension of the above-mentioned
elements of the narrative texts.

3.8 SUGGESTED READINGS

If you would like to learn more about Narrative Texts, you may consult:
H. Abbott, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2002)
Lisa Sternleib et al., The Nature of Narrative (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2006)
Mieke Bal & Christine van Boheemen,Narratology: Introduction to the Theory
of Narrative 3rd edition (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009)

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 Narrative Text
3.9 ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1) (ii), 2. (iii), 3. (iii), 4. (iv), 5. (iv)
6) He played the violin.
7) The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a move by America
to attack Japan during World War II.

8) He decided to disassociate himself from the scientific policy of the

government and all governmental institutions. He decided to open
educational institutions for children, adolescents and youth – institutions
where along with science, spirituality will be compulsorily taught.

9) He believed that it was important to balance technology with humanity.

His will to lean on spirituality came from the destruction he witnessed
after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was disillusioned
with sciences when he saw the destruction it was capable of if left unchecked
and unbalanced with spirituality.
10) (a) Agony
(b) Penitence
Check Your Progress 2
1) Eerie
2) Peter had tumbled awkwardly to the ground, his leg bent at a painful angle
beneath him. Unable to move, he was forced to wait where he was, wrapped
in Michael’s jacket.

3) The title of the passage “rescue” is fit as the whole piece is a narration on
a rescue mission by the writer for saving his friend. It gives a detailed
introduction to the premise and then narrates the process of the rescue
itself. Hence the passage can aptly be titled as the ‘rescue’ as that is the
crux of the text.

4) By seven o’clock that evening, they had left the helicopter in the village
and gathered a mountain rescue team of fifteen men.
Check Your Progress 3
1) c, 2. b, 3. c, 4. b, 5. a, 6. c, 7. a, 8. c

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